European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
Asia and Pacific
EU–China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment: Levelling the playing field with China [International Agreements in Progress]
Lack of reciprocity in access to the Chinese market and the absence of a level playing field for EU investors in China have posed major challenges for EU-China investment relations in recent years, with the negotiation of a comprehensive agreement on investment (CAI) being considered by the EU a key instrument to remedy this state of play. Continue reading
Outcome of EU-China video-summit of 22 June 2020
On Monday 22 June 2020, the EU and China held their 22nd summit, which on this occasion was conducted by video-conference. Continue reading
Korean peninsula: State of play – Further uncertainty follows period of hope
North Korea and South Korea have been on different paths since World War II. The North has remained isolated and poor, its regime inspired by Soviet structures, with a centrally planned economy. Continue reading
Coronavirus in south-east Asia: Health, political and economic impact
Coronavirus has affected the 10 south-east Asian countries in very different ways. Continue reading
China’s democratic neighbours and coronavirus: Protecting populations without lockdowns
North-east Asian countries have deep and historical economic, human and cultural connections with China, based on their geographical proximity to the latter country, and were the first to be exposed to the coronavirus contagion after its initial outbreak. They were not caught unprepared, having dealt with the SARS and the MERS epidemics in recent times. Continue reading
2019 Sakharov Prize laureate: Ilham Tohti
Space for freedom of thought is shrinking dramatically across the globe, as the geo-political and geo-economic clout of authoritarian regimes expands. Continue reading
Towards a new EU policy approach to China: 21st EU-China Summit – April 2019
With the European Parliament elections set for May 2019, the 21st EU-China Summit has been advanced, to be held in Brussels on 9 April 2019, only nine months after the previous one. Continue reading
The EU-Japan Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) – A framework to promote shared values [International Agreements in Progress]
The SPA represents a framework strengthening the overall partnership, by promoting political and sectoral cooperation and joint actions in more than 40 areas of common interest. Continue reading
EU-Singapore trade and investment deals pass major milestone [International Agreements in Progress]
Following the signature of the EU-Singapore trade and investment agreements on 19 October 2018, the European Parliament gave its consent on 13 February 2019 to conclude both agreements. Continue reading
Le futur partenariat de l’UE avec les pays d’Afrique, des Caraïbes et du Pacifique (« post-Cotonou ») [International Agreements in Progress]
L’accord de partenariat entre l’Union européenne et les pays d’Afrique, des Caraïbes et du Pacifique (ACP) expire en 2020. Le principal défi pour l’Union européenne est de maintenir ses relations dans la région, tout en restant fidèle aux valeurs promues dans les Traités européens. Continue reading
South Korea’s presidential election: Potential for a new EU role in the Korean Peninsula
Written by Enrico D’Ambrogio, South Korea has been shaken by a succession of corruption scandals involving politicians, judges, senior officials, businessmen and even academics. Impeachment of the country’s first female president, the conservative Park Guen-hye, was confirmed by the Constitutional Court, and snap Presidential elections take place on 9 May 2017. Moon Jae-in, a liberal politician and a leading … Continue reading
Driving trade in the ASEAN region Progress of FTA negotiations
Written by Krisztina Binder, After negotiations between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for a regional free trade agreement (FTA) were suspended in 2009, the EU decided to pursue bilateral trade agreements with the individual ASEAN member states. To date, six of them have started talks on a bilateral FTA with … Continue reading
Japan’s Prime Minister wins his electoral bid
Written by Lorenzo Costantini Prime Minister Shinzō Abe dissolved the lower house and called an early election in December 2014. The contest was also regarded as a referendum on his growth strategy, widely known as ‘Abenomics’. Taking advantage of opposition parties’ weakness and inability to conduct a successful campaign at such short notice, and with … Continue reading
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Written by Martin Russell The Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) has long been one of the developing world’s most active regional organisations. Set up in 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, it has — like the EU —helped to bring stability to a formerly turbulent region. Successive enlargements have added Brunei, … Continue reading
The situation of minorities in Iraq
Written by Eric Pichon, Iraqi minorities (Turkmens, Yazidis, Christians and other smaller communities) have long been discriminated against in Iraq. Violence against them has increased dramatically in areas of Iraqi territory that have fallen under the control of the Islamist terrorist group that has declared itself ‘the Islamic State’ (known variously as IS, ISIS or … Continue reading
Nepal’s political parties and the difficult road towards a new Constitution
Written by Enrico D’Ambrogio Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world. A 10-year guerrilla conflict ended in 2006 and led to the country’s transition from monarchy to republic. However, the political parties have so far been unable to reach a compromise on a new constitution, or to provide the political stability that … Continue reading
Bhutan and its political parties
Written by Enrico D’Ambrogio Bhutan, a long-isolated South Asian monarchy, is mostly known internationally for the concept of ‘gross national happiness’. Since 2008 it has been undergoing a king-driven transition to democracy. From absolute to constitutional monarchy Bhutan, a small kingdom located between India and China in the Himalayan mountains, with an estimated population of … Continue reading
China: Assimilating or radicalising Uighurs?
Written by Gisela Grieger The Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR), a restive province in China’s western periphery, is populated in almost equal proportions by Turkic-speaking Uighurs and Mandarin-speaking Han Chinese. The Uighurs, who are predominantly Muslim, call the region East Turkestan. Since October 2013, when China witnessed its first terrorist suicide car attack on Beijing’s … Continue reading
The situation of Kurds in Kobane
3 language versions available in pdf: The situation of Kurds in Kobane Die Lage der Kurden in Kobane La situation des Kurdes à Kobané Commenting on the fighting against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria, citizens called on the EU to help the civilians and threatened minorities. In particular, they were concerned about the … Continue reading
Indonesia: human rights situation
Written by Jacques Lecarte Indonesia has the potential to become a model emerging democracy that respects human rights nationally and supports universal human rights standards across the world. Achieving this will require newly elected President Joko Widodo to take a firm stand to protect the human rights of Indonesia’s marginalised groups – including religious minorities, … Continue reading
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