October 2012
The economic and political position of Europe in the world is changing, particularly its relationships with China and the United States. The Eurozone crisis represents a strategic opportunity for Europe to rethink itself and become a more powerful united force.
The report, Europe in an Asian Century, explores how China looms large in Europe’s recovery from the crisis and is increasingly interested in Europe’s future for economic and wider strategic reasons. And as the US increasingly focuses on Asia, Europe is impelled to carve a role for itself beyond the old certainties of the transatlantic relationship. Europe therefore has a pivotal strategic opportunity to capitalise on these shifts in global power to lay claim to the same key status as China and the US. However, the UK’s obstructionism will prevent Europe from achieving this.
The report is composed from papers presented at the Dahrendorf Symposium. It includes contributions from John Stevens, the former Conservative MEP and investment banker who is now the Chairman of EPP UK; the LSE academics Odd Arne Westad, Michael Cox and Mary Kaldor; Thomas Risse of Freie Universtat Berlin and Richard Youngs of University of Warwick.
Contents
Executive Summary
Nicholas Kitchen, Editor, IDEAS Reports
The Strategic Opportunity of the Euro Crisis
John Stevens
Europe Between the Superpowers
China and Europe: Opportunities or Dangers?
Odd Arne Westad
No Longer Inevitable? The Transatlantic Relationship from Bush to Obama
Michael Cox
Visions for Europe
A European Conception of Security
Mary Kaldor
Identity Matters: Exploring the Ambivalence of EU Foreign Policy
Thomas Risse
A Mercantalist Power?
Richard Youngs
Conclusion
A Geostrategic Vision for the UK
Sir Colin Budd