With major economic interests at stake, the European Union must become a player in Southeast Asian security.
Because Europe and the United States have shared values the State Department wants both to work together to promote them in the Asia-Pacific region.
Despite Europe's current weakness, one feature of European politics is very much the envy of many Asian observers: the continent's institutional and procedural framework.
The Europeans have no choice, politically nor militarily, to stay in Afghanistan once the United States withdraws its combat troops from Afghanistan.
With traditional strategies rendered obsolete and its main ally relatively weaker, Taiwan has done a remarkable thing by reverting to soft power for its own protection.
With its functioning multi-party democracy and significant mineral deposits Mongolia has become strategically important, but the country's president knows he has to improve the country's poor reputation when it comes to corruption.
Consumer awareness and the flow of information in the globalized economy could help shape a Europe-wide rare earth strategy that could have a positive impact on authoritarian regimes.
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