Op-ed Categories - Page 4 of 25

South Korea’s 20th presidential election: Finding a Korean balance between the US and China in the Indo-Pacific region

South Korea’s presidential election is scheduled to be held on 9 March 2022. The two major parties, the ruling liberal Democratic Party (DP) and the conservative People Power Party (PPP), nominated their presidential candidates, both of whom have no legislative experience in the National Assembly. The former Gyeonggi Province Governor, Lee Jae-Myung, was nominated by the DP to succeed incumbent President Moon Jae-In, and the former Prosecutor-General, Yoon Suk-Yeol, was nominated by the PPP (opposition camp) to rebrand the party following the 2017 impeachment of former President Park Geun-Hye.

The Indo-Pacific Forum and the EU’s Global Gateway Strategy: Engaging with the new International Order

The EU is redefining their position in the international world order through their Indo-Pacific Plan. In this respect, on 22 February 2022, European and Indo-Pacific representatives for foreign affairs and security policy are set to meet in Paris for the Indo-Pacific Forum.

Germany after Merkel – Charting a new Course on Foreign Policy?

With the official election of Olaf Scholz as the new German Chancellor by the newly constituted parliament (the Bundestag) on 8 December 2021, the 16-year-long era of Angela Merkel as head of the German government came to an end. Along with Merkel’s farewell ended the governing role of her conservative party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), after achieving a record low of voter shares in the September 2021 parliamentary elections.

The 13th ASEM Summit (ASEM13) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) took place on 25-26 November 2021 via videoconference under the theme “strengthening multilateralism for shared growth”. ASEM has major untapped potential but remains a valuable platform for dialogue and the exchange of information for its members.

Stairway to Heaven or Highway to Hell? The EU’s Global Gateway and Expanding Economic Statecraft

On 1 December 2021, the EU launched its brand new infrastructural development scheme – “The Global Gateway”. By pledging to mobilise up to 300 billion EUR in investments by 2027, the EU is adding significant firepower to its toolkit of economic statecraft.

An Opening Gambit, or a Losing Gamble? – Lithuania’s “New Direction” on China

In view of the growing tensions and most recent developments in Lithuania’s relations with China, this op-ed assesses the causes of their current dispute, related EU perspectives and the potential for a 27+1 approach towards China.

The EU’s Semiconductor Strategic Autonomy: Revitalising Partnerships in Northeast Asia

In September 2021, EU Commissioner for the internal market, Thierry Breton, visited Japan and South Korea to corral international support for the ‘EU Chips Act’, a strategy aimed at enhancing European production capacity and research in the field.

Japanese Politics After Suga: Who is Fumio Kishida?

Who is Fumio Kishida, the new leader of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party succeeding Yoshihide Suga after his stepping down as Prime Minister? Standing for the 31 October 2021 general elections we look ahead and assess who he is and what he represents within the party and for the country.

A new EU Special Representative for Central Asia: Towards Enhanced Cooperation

Tehri Hakala, the newly appointed EU Special Representative for Central Asia visited the region in August 2021. What can we expect from her term as EUSR and what are the EU’s priorities in its relations with the region?