Publikationen: Asien-Pazifik

The Legs of the Triangle – The EU-China Relations

von Frank Umbach
Veröffentlicht am 11. Dezember 2007.

China’s ascendance on the world stage signals a major shift in the global political, economic, and security environment. The ability of the U.S. and EU to deal effectively with the challenges associated with China’s rise have far-reaching consequences both for transatlantic relations and for the effective management of China’s global emergence and the world order. The Bush administration’s China policy appears still contested and the future of Sino-American relations highly uncertain. China has not already become the world’s 4th economy and 3rd exporter, but also an increasingly important political power (total external trade now more than three times the combined trade of India and Brazil). In this context, it is not surprising that competition and rivalries within the strategic triangle are growing. While ambivalence has always characterized the complex U.S.-China relations, increasing frictions in a number of political and economic fields is rather a new development within the EU-China relations during the last 12-18 months.

NFC 2006: Security in a Globalized World

von Kathrin Brockmann, Hans Bastian Hauck (eds )
Veröffentlicht am 23. Oktober 2007.

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The end of the Cold War brought with it the end of the traditional, bipolar geo-strategic model of explaining world affairs. “Feindbilder,” which used to be defined in geographical terms (“East” vs “West”), have been replaced by security threats perceived to be truly global and functional in nature, yet regional in origin: Terrorism and proliferation, migration, organized crime and corruption or, at the root level, the lack of democracy and good governance in certain parts of this world. The realization that in today’s globalized and interlinked world regional conflicts can have global fallout has increased the need for policy analysts to better understand the highly complex nature of different regional security dynamics. For policy makers, the question is how to address regional security issues efficiently and effectively.

NFC 2005: Security Challenges in Times of Change

von May-Britt Stumbaum, Magnus Christiansson (eds.)
Veröffentlicht am 22. Oktober 2007.

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One of the most striking features of the political developments during the 1990s was the re-emergence of regional conflicts that seemed to be very forgotten during the Cold War. Indeed, something of regional identities were also created and reinforced in many parts of the world, making room for both promising developments (like the European Union) and more worrying tendencies. For many observers this development called for a deeper understanding of cultural and historical patterns, as well as a more hands-on need of knowledge of current regional dynamics. The importance of the MENA region, Central and Eastern Asia, and the former Soviet republics Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, made it necessary for a broader access traditionally reserved for area experts.

Quo vadis, G8?

von Runder Tisch mit Katharina Gnath, Sieglinde Gstöhl und Martin Kahl
Veröffentlicht am 23. Juli 2007.

Am Runden Tisch "Quo vadis, G8?" diskutieren Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler über Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und Zukunft der G8. Vor dem Gipfel in Heiligendamm im Juni 2007 unter deutschem Vorsitz sollen Repräsentativität, Legitimiät, Effektivität und Effizienz dieser selbst ernannten "Weltregierung" analysiert werden.

Opportunities and Limits of EU-China Security Cooperation

von May-Britt Stumbaum
Veröffentlicht am 02. Juli 2007.

In its European Security Strategy, the European Union defined the People's Republic of China (PRC) as a strategic partner and envisaged comprehensive cooperation with it, including in the security sector. China and the EU often use the same terms, but the connotation of these terms differs due to fundamentally different security concerns. This article critically assesses the possibilities, prospects and difficulties from a European point of view of pursuing Sino-European cooperation in security matters. It concludes that given basic differences in perception, cooperation is likely to be successful in such fields as environmental disasters and pandemics, but will remain limited in such areas as non-proliferation, the fight against terrorism and energy security.