China's Developing Rail Links With ASEAN

By Jan Willem Blankert

30 January 2019

Jan Willem Blankert argues that China’s ambitious plans to develop rail links in SE Asia have met a mixed response, although there is a desperate need to improve infrastructure in the region.

Prospects for EU-Asia Cooperation on Energy Security

By Alana Fitzpatrick

18 December 2018

18 December 2018

Our Research Assistant Alana Fitzpatrick argues that the EU and Asia share a strong strategic incentive to cooperate on energy security.

China's Social Credit System: Why the EU Must Engage now

By Bart Broer

17 December 2018

17 December 2018

Our Research Fellow Bart Broer argues that the EU has a number of reasons to be concerned with Beijing's latest plans. 

Brexit: Any Lessons for ASEAN?

By Jan Willem Blankert

4 December 2018

People interested in Asia and ASEAN, watching the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, may wonder: if a member state of ASEAN (the ten member Association of South East Asian Nations) wanted to leave the club, could this lead to a process as painful and long as the UK’s farewell from the EU? And the next question: does ASEAN have a formal exit option? 

Institute of International Economic Relations: China's Image in Greece 2008-2018

By Plamen Tonchev

22 October 2018

Last week, the IIER published a report on China's image in Greece - the gist of the report is that China's image in Greece is conditioned by a cocktail of four different - and even conflicting - narratives. Apart from China's ascendancy, this has a lot to do with the decade-long socio-economic and political crisis in Greece, but also with a conspicuous anti-European mood in the country.

Find the report here.

EU, China have much to chew over

By Fraser Cameron

17 October 2018

17 October 2018

Premier Li Keqiang heads to Brussels this week for the biannual Asia Europe meeting (ASEM) plus bilateral talks with European Union leaders. Li's visit takes place amid rising protectionism and increasing trade tensions.

The EU's Connectivity Strategy: An Answer to China's Belt and Road Initiative?

By Bart Broer

21 September 2018

Today’s adoption by the European Commission of a new ‘Connectivity Strategy’ linking Europe and Asia throws down the gauntlet to China.

China’s Technological Challenge

By Roderick Kefferpütz

15 September 2018

In the past China used to be belittled as the workshop of the world that produces cheap, low quality products. Those days are over. We are witnessing a technological changing of the guard: the world’s workshop is becoming the world’s research centre. In the West, some are beginning to understand this in broader, historical terms. In the thousand years between 500 and 1500 AD, China’s technological superiority was apparent in most domains. Only with the Enlightenment was the West able to develop into an innovative force. Critical thinking and scientific advancement took hold throughout Europe, allowing the West to surpass China. But this era of technological supremacy is coming to an end. We are bearing witness to China’s technological return to the world stage. 

Discord between the EU and the US: Fallout for the Philippines and ASEAN

By James Moran

12 September 2018

Since the election of Donald Trump, there have been a series of developments that, on the face of it, give real cause for concern about the state of transatlantic relations - with some lamenting, others celebrating, what they perceive as a "decline of the West". These developments relate to climate change, trade, security and liberal democratic values. 

However, there are reasons to believe that this is not a permanent state of affairs. There are many people working on both sides of the Atlantic working to contain the currently being incurred damage. 

DPRK Deja Vu

By Fraser Cameron

9 July 2018

DPRK – Deja Vu 

‘We have seen it all before’ - was the judgement of veteran DPRK watcher, Victor Cha, after the DPRK began stonewalling during Mike Pompeo’s latest trip to Pyongyang. Cha was one of many experts who expressed disbelief at the paucity of the Singapore statement after the Trump-Kim summit. 

Trump was pleased at his photo op that he tweeted ‘there is no more nuclear threat from North Korea.’ At home he basked in a sudden surge in popularity. The great dealmaker had triumphed where his predecessors had failed. ‘Rocket Man’ was suddenly ‘a good guy.’ There was no longer any need for US-South Korea joint military exercises. Trump even agreed that these were ‘provocative’ – language used by the DPRK for years.