<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>This article examines the first two decades of the transregional Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM) from its inception with the Bangkok Summit of 1996. Examining instances of region building and the socialisation of states, it identifies the gradual emergence of a role for the forum, one that stands in some contrast to initial participant expectations. In this respect, rather than a structure for delivering substantive negotiated outcomes around issues such as trade liberalisation, the value of ASEM across its first 20 years came increasingly to be seen in its ideational aspects: identity building, norm diffusion, and dialogue without preconceptions.</p></abstract>

This article examines the first two decades of the transregional Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM) from its inception with the Bangkok Summit of 1996. Examining instances of region building and the socialisation of states, it identifies the gradual emergence of a role for the forum, one that stands in some contrast to initial participant expectations. In this respect, rather than a structure for delivering substantive negotiated outcomes around issues such as trade liberalisation, the value of ASEM across its first 20 years came increasingly to be seen in its ideational aspects: identity building, norm diffusion, and dialogue without preconceptions.

ASEM’s First Two Decades: A Role Discovered

TalTech Journal of European Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"ASEM\u2019s First Two Decades: A Role Discovered"}

This article examines the first two decades of the transregional Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM) from its inception with the Bangkok Summit of 1996. Examining...

ASEM’s First Two Decades: A Role Discovered

Published Online: Nov 07, 2019

Page range: 6 - 19

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/bjes-2019-0011

Keywords
Asia–Europe Meeting, the European Union, interregionalism, transregionalism, the Asia-Pacific region

© 2019 Mathew Doidge, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

ASEM’s First Two Decades: A Role Discovered

Published Online: Nov 07, 2019

Page range: 6 - 19

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/bjes-2019-0011

KeywordsAsia–Europe Meeting, the European Union, interregionalism, transregionalism, the Asia-Pacific region

© 2019 Mathew Doidge, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Asia–Europe Meeting, the European Union, interregionalism, transregionalism, the Asia-Pacific region