ABSTRACT
The strategic game between the EU, India, China, and the US is, in part, being played through regional constructs. The identity of India and China as populous nations is another factor that supports the regional constructions, and also affects the bargaining on global environmental responsibilities India is a leading light in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), and a strategic partner of the EU as well as a new member of Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). The dominant position of India in South Asia makes regional organization less relevant, and limits the usefulness of approaching the relationship with India from a regional perspective. In East Asia, however, regionalism is very real, and has substantially more potential in terms of influencing China's policies than bilateral relations. The development of Chinese institutional power-projection capacity in Central Asia also makes it very relevant to consider the regional realities in the EU's strategic partnership with China in Central Asia.
