1st Edition

Developing EU�Japan Relations in a Changing Regional Context A Focus on Security, Law and Policies

    206 Pages
    by Routledge

    206 Pages 6 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    Relations between the EU and East Asia have consistently expanded in recent years, particularly between the EU and Japan. Against the background of negotiations on an economic and strategic partnership agreement, the EU–Japan relationship is set to become the single most comprehensive ‘region-to-state’ relationship the world has known today, accounting for more than a third of world GDP and a combined population of more than 600 million people.



    This book addresses the potential role of the EU, in cooperation with Japan, to craft a stable and prosperous mode of governance in the Asian region. In today’s globalized world seemingly defined by waxing Chinese power and waning American power, the book reflects the lack of appreciation for an EU-Japan concert in maintaining and developing multilateral principles. It aims towards fortifying this relationship by acknowledging that in order to enhance the credibility and capabilities of such an alliance, it is necessary to take stock of where the partnership stands today, what kind of obstacles still need to be overcome and which options have been left untouched.



    By introducing state-of-the-art empirical research in multiple fields, this book will be of key interest to students and scholars of international relations, comparative regionalism, the European Union and Japanese politics.

    Introduction [Dimitri Vanoverbeke, Takao Suami, Takako Ueta, Nicholas Peeters and Frederik PonjaertPart I: Europe and Japan in East Asia: A Focus on Law and Security  1. Japan-Europe Security Cooperation: A View from Japan [Takako Ueta]  2. Legal Construction of an East Asian Community: Is it Worth it? [Tamio Nakamura]  3. The EU’s Security Interests in East Asia: Japan as a Strategic Partner? [Michael Reiterer]  4. Evolving Japanese Security Strategy [Elena Atanassova-Cornelis]  5. Building an Organization for Security and Co-operation in Asia: the European Experience and Japan’s Role [Makako IkegamiPart II: EU-Japan Cooperation in Practice: Explaining Key Issues in a Dynamic Relationship  6. Japan’s Relations with the EU in a Changing World [Takako Ueta]  7. The Weakest Link: Problems and Potentials of Unbalanced Investment Relations between the EU and Japan [Ken-ichi Ando]  8. Mainstreaming Climate Change into Development Cooperation: Comparing European and Japanese Approaches [Hanne Knaepen]  9. Intellectual Property Rights and Parallel Importation in the Context of the EU-Japan Trade Relationship [Takao Suami]

    Biography

    Dimitri Vanoverbeke is a Professor in Japanese Studies and Director of the Department of Area Studies at KU Leuven, Belgium. He is the Executive Director of the Double Degree EU–Japan Multidisciplinary Master’s program and is frequently Guest Professor at the University of Lyon III (Jean Moulin).



    Takao Suami is Professor of Law at Waseda University Law School, Japan, and serves as the President of the Japanese Association of EU Studies. He is also responsible for the Tokyo Module in the Master’s program at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland.



    Takako Ueta is Professor at the International Christian University, Japan. She has worked for the Embassy of Japan to Belgium, been special advisor on NATO and European security, and was Ambassador, Deputy Chief of the Mission of Japan to the EU.



    Nicholas Peeters is a Doctoral candidate at the Department of Japanese Studies at KU Leuven, Belgium, and is currently undertaking research at the University of Tokyo, Japan.



    Frederik Ponjaert is Researcher and Lecturer at the Institute for European Studies at Université libre de Bruxelles and the KU Leuven, Belgium, and Associate Lecturer in Comparative Regionalism at SciencesPo, Paris. He is also Scientific Coordinator of the Erasmus Mundus GEM-Ph.D. School.