ABSTRACT
After the Second World War, Europe withdrew militarily from Asia. In the political field as well, Europe’s role in Asia has decreased and its political interest has waned, due partly to the presence there of the United States, which has taken the greatest responsibility for the region’s security, and partly to the influence of the former USSR and China during the Cold War. East Asia now has the world’s fastest-growing economy, and a dynamic one, and has become a region which can assert influence, at least in the economic field, on a global scale. This coincides with the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union which have affected international relationships in Asia, although not as dramatically as in Europe. As a result of global economic growth in recent years, the economic ties between Europe and Asia, which generate 30% and 20% of world national income respectively, have steadily strengthened.
