Asia and Europe

4 ASEM as an instrument for regional integration

Introduction

The preceding chapter focused on the ASEM leaders' meetings, discussing them in the context of summit diplomacy. However, it is also recognised that ASEM is more than the summits. There is another important aspect of ASEM, and that is the wide variety of concrete programmes, action plans, and meetings and exchanges that take place in between the summits. These activities and meetings have been collectively categorised as part of the inter-regional dialogue between Asia and Europe, aimed at promoting better ties and generating mutual benefits. Some scholars believe that one of the important benefits of such inter-regional dialogue is the fact that both regions — East Asia and the European ...