From October 7-9 European and East Asian heads of state and government met at the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi for their fifth inter-regional summit. Following the eastern expansion of the EU and northern expansion of the ASEAN community, the number of...

The Bush administration's decision to address Pyongyang's criminal activities and human rights violations could cause a crisis in the Six Party Talks on North Korea's nuclear programme. If the United States does not respond to demands made by both Koreas to discuss these issues bilaterally and...

With the rise of the European trade deficit the tone of European trade policy towards China has become noticeably more irritated. At the same time a protectionist attitude motivated by nationalist sentiments has taken hold in China. Nevertheless, rather than engaging in confrontation the two...

For the first time ever, the EU is concluding a free trade agreement with an Asian country. After 26 months of arduous negotiations, the Republic of Korea and the EU have agreed on the comprehensive liberalization of their trade and economic relations. The free trade zone between Europe and...

Asia is not only the world's most dynamic region in terms of trade, it is also an important pacesetter in trade policy. The US is currently negotiating with eleven partner countries over a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP); the members of the ASEAN+6 group are in talks over a Regional...

When Shinzo Abe became Prime Minister of Japan in December 2012, he raised great economic expectations. He promised a radical turnaround in monetary policy, long-term fiscal consolidation, and structural reforms to revive the economy. Two years on, the interim results of "Abenomics" are...

China's new leadership has launched a series of foreign policy and economic initiatives whose implications reach far beyond their own region. Washington disapproves of Beijing's plans, regarding the proposed financial institutions in particular as a challenge to their established...

After five years of intense negotiations, trade ministers of twelve Pacific Rim countries, including the United States, Canada, and Japan, have reached agreement on a comprehensive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Whether and when this agreement will come into effect depends above all on the...

At their summit on 6 July 2017, Japan and the EU reached an agreement in principle for bilateral free trade. The agreement should be ready for signing by the end of 2017. The intended liberalization of trade in goods, agriculture and services would create the world's largest free trade area –...