Diversifying Eastward

How can the EU use trade relations with ASEAN to diversify its economic ties and reduce strategic dependencies amid growing geopolitical competition?

EU–ASEAN trade remains uneven, with Singapore and Vietnam dominating current exchanges, while Indonesia’s economic potential has been underutilised. 

Deepening EU–ASEAN trade can strengthen European strategic autonomy, but only if trade policy is embedded in a broader geopolitical strategy that accounts for external competition in Southeast Asia.