The EU, The U.S., Russia and China: Competing Approaches to Global Governance

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This course looks at a specific aspect of the European Union’s external relations, namely its relations with countries and regional organisations in East Asia. This module examines the significance of this relationship in the context of an emerging multi-polar world, focusing in turn on the economic, political and cultural links between these global regions. This is not a symmetrical relationship: while the EU is a highly integrated organisation (albeit with difficulties to project a coherent foreign policy), Asia is much less homogenous politically and economically. A first concern for this module is therefore the question to what extent the EU is actually capable to play in role in international politics, considering its particular nature. Another important dimension is the international context to EU-Asia relations, the interaction of European and Asian actors in international organisations and global governance regimes, and the role of third countries such as the United States.