The Asian Experience for Europe: New Perspectives

Abstract

At the end of the second decade of the 21st century, global disruption has become normalised, be it represented by the long shadow cast by 9/11, the USA, Russia, China, Brexit, or climate change. The individual articles in this Special Issue present a diverse array of analyses and topics: what binds them together, however, is the perspective of change. The twentieth-century certainties are no longer adequate explanations as the evolving mosaic of Asia-Pacifi c relations continues to surprise even the most well-informed commentators. Contemporary developments in China, North Korea, and Japan collectively present a new international relations subsystem of issues that challenge the existing multilateral and strategic context of the Asia-Pacifi c. Additionally, the different regionalisms as expressed by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) process emphasise the intercontinental connectivity of Asia-Pacifi c relations, while generating plenty of serious discussions on the topic in the European Union (EU).