Regionalism in Europe and Asia in the Twenty-First Century: A Comparative Appraisal

While the trend towards regional unity seems to have reached its limits in Europe because of deep seated internal divisions, it has taken added relevance in Asia in the last few years primarily due to economic factors. Many Asian states regard regionalism as a safeguard against the risks posed by globalisation. Natural assets make an “Asian energy (oil and gas) axis” possible. The region provides many other opportunities for geoeconomic linkages to facilitate deeper integration and dense economic networks. In strategic terms, a balance of power on the Eurasian landmass and in the oceans that surround it seems to favour a cooperative, multilateral approach to the disagreements remaining between states. Various regional and transregional organisations have paved the way for continental Entente, but they should not imitate the problematic European Union experiment.