Political convergence between the EU and ASEAN: are they growing more alike in the Indo-Pacific?

Abstract

In reaction to recent challenges to the liberal international order and the shifts in the global balance of power, the EU has formulated several new foreign policy strategies and visions, including “A Strategic Compass” and the “EU Indo-Pacific Strategy”, and has sought to strengthen global partnerships with like-minded partners around the world. ASEAN has been identified as one of the crucial players with whom the EU should foster international cooperation, while the EU has also become more important for ASEAN. This paper assesses the convergence between ASEAN and the EU in the Indo-Pacific since the early 2020s by examining similarities and connections between the two blocs in terms of their normative visions, interests and practical steps and considering how they perceive each other. We argue that although strategic convergence is increasingly visible in normative, discursive and diplomatic realms, on-the-ground political cooperation falls behind. We identify the noticeable potential for political practice between the two organizations to “catch up” as well as some deeper limits.