"Distant neighbours - The new Asia strategy of the European Union and the Union’s relationship with China"

Asia is of importance to Europe in the new world disorder. This importance has increased and is in many ways different from the era of the silk and spice trade. This paper will argue that Asia must not be overlooked by Europe, even less so by the European Union, mainly for five reasons: economy, population, growth, trade and security. Asia counts, first and foremost, for compelling economic reasons: in 1995, the EU was Southeast Asia’s second largest export market and third largest trading partner. The World Bank estimates that half the economic growth by the year 2000 will originate from East and South East Asia and the International Monetary Fund has forecast the Asian Gross National Product will have grown on average 44% between 1990 and 1995. The world of the ‘tiger economies’ continues to do the rounds in European circles