Insignificant or Transformative? The EU and ASEAN as Indo-Pacific Security Actors : Content analysis on the EU’s and ASEAN’s security approaches in the Indo-Pacific
Leirimaa, Sebastian (2022)
2022
Politiikan tutkimuksen maisteriohjelma - Master's Programme in Politics
Johtamisen ja talouden tiedekunta - Faculty of Management and Business
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2022-11-22
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202210277949
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202210277949
Tiivistelmä
The Indo-Pacific has become a central stage for global politics and the region is home to ever-increasing geopolitical tensions, which threaten the trade routes and supply chains passing through the Indo-Pacific. Most attention is focused on the great power competition between the US and China, but many middle powers are also active in shaping the security architecture of the region. The EU and ASEAN are two middle powers, that have the potential to significantly affect the geopolitics of the region. They also have similar security interests and have expressed their desire to cooperate on Indo-Pacific security. This study examines and compares the EU’s and ASEAN’s approaches to security in the Indo-Pacific.
The methodology used for the study is a directed content analysis. The Indo-Pacific strategy documents of both actors, as well as other central strategy documents were used in the content analysis. The study focused on three types of measures or sectors of security. These were military, economics, and institutions, as these three areas have been identified as the central areas for competition and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. The theoretical framework of the study was based on realist and neoliberal insights.
It was found that the EU’s approach is based largely on material power, and it holds more competitive measures aimed at China, whereas ASEAN’s approach focuses on institution-building and cooperation. While the EU and ASEAN have different areas of focus, the two actors can supplement each other’s shortcomings, as the EU can help to provide the economic resources needed to improve security and stability in the Indo-Pacific, and ASEAN can utilize its role as a leader in regional institutions. Cooperation between these two actors has the potential to significantly alter the security environment of the Indo-Pacific, but whether the EU and ASEAN can leverage their respective strengths effectively enough to stabilize the region remains to be seen.
The methodology used for the study is a directed content analysis. The Indo-Pacific strategy documents of both actors, as well as other central strategy documents were used in the content analysis. The study focused on three types of measures or sectors of security. These were military, economics, and institutions, as these three areas have been identified as the central areas for competition and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. The theoretical framework of the study was based on realist and neoliberal insights.
It was found that the EU’s approach is based largely on material power, and it holds more competitive measures aimed at China, whereas ASEAN’s approach focuses on institution-building and cooperation. While the EU and ASEAN have different areas of focus, the two actors can supplement each other’s shortcomings, as the EU can help to provide the economic resources needed to improve security and stability in the Indo-Pacific, and ASEAN can utilize its role as a leader in regional institutions. Cooperation between these two actors has the potential to significantly alter the security environment of the Indo-Pacific, but whether the EU and ASEAN can leverage their respective strengths effectively enough to stabilize the region remains to be seen.