ABSTRACT

This conclusion presents some closing thoughts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book refers to the selected Non-traditional security (NTS) crises as moments where norms could become unstable and where Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was open to European assistance. The European Union (EU) has become increasingly aware of the risks stemming from interdependence and recognises that the dividing lines between national and international security have faded. The book adopts this security perspective and draws an NTS frame to understand the EU as a contemporary actor in Southeast Asia. The NTS concept builds on socio-economic developments and reflects the power asymmetry in the ASEAN-EU relationship, as well as the difference in the liberal-democratic agenda. NTS also provides an interesting opportunity for the EU to foster intra-regional coherence in the context of the European External Action Service (EEAS). A stable and secure Asia-Pacific necessitates the active inclusion of China into the security architecture.