The Asia snow in Brussels

Rare are the 28 European leaders, when they meet in Brussels, see Li Keqiang, the Chinese Prime Minister. And then Shinzo Abe from Japan. Dmitry Medvedev, on behalf of Russia. Many more Asian leaders, most prime ministers and some presidents. This week, it arrived in Brussels. Thursday night, Asia and Europe were gathered around the same table, or 51 countries in total. On Friday, they have a real summit at the headquarters of the European Union on Schuman Square.

The combined society accounts for 55% of world trade, 60% of the world's population and three-quarters of world tourism. So, you would say: The summit between Asia and Europe is the only real world summit of the week.

The menu also contains a theme that seriously concerns Asia and Europe: how to maintain the multilateral order now that Donald Trump's America has hijacked it?

At the annual United Nations summit in New York One month after the other, a European leader has been cast as a supporter of the multilateral world order. In Asia, from China to Japan, such means are also valid. Partly because of the trade war between China and the United States, partly because of the growing influence of China.

A golden opportunity for Europe to form a common front in Brussels this week that extends to Japan: the multilateral against the "unilateralist" Trump.

Yet this It was not the vote in Brussels this week.European politicians and diplomats this week loaded at the summit (there were seven) were barely concerned about the global order with Asia.] Priority issues First, they were looking forward to the Brexit summit – but that did not bring the expected breakthrough on Wednesday.Then the euro zone summit followed on Thursday – with a blatant shock of budget plans sumptuous of Italy.

Preparing the summit of Asia? No time for that, a European diplomat sighed in advance. "It is a summit at a very high level ", said another." But also very informal. "

Yet the consultations between Asia and the United Europe are gaining importance, it is said. In 1996, Singapore took the initiative of the first ASEM (as the summit calls it). Since then, the growing club's leaders meet every two years, alternately in Asia and Europe, in addition to regular lower-level meetings. There is even an ASEM annual official day, March 1, to celebrate the "Asia-Europe Partnership".

In the meantime, the list of shared interests and interconnections has become much longer and more complicated.

This is partly due to the withdrawal of America. This week, Asia and Europe will also work to save the Paris climate agreements and the agreement with Iran.

This week, the EU signed a free trade agreement with Vietnam following the conclusion of a similar agreement with Japan in July.

No joint action

The relationship with China and Russia is complicated. In July, negotiations between the EU and China failed on a joint action against Trump's trade war policy. Large-scale Chinese investments in European countries mean that Europeans are more competitive than they are commonly.

Europe plays a role in the search for a common approach to counterbalance China's growing influence in the world. According to the "building blocks" on which EU Member States have agreed this week, Europe, like China, wants to invest in energy infrastructure and technological (own). But financially, Europe can not compete with Chinese investments.

This week, at the Europe-Asia summit in Brussels, deals mainly with what each country brings. European leaders all have agreements on the sidelines of the summit with interesting partners.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte, among others, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brunei are on the program. The most important booty has already entered the Netherlands. Earlier this week, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited him in The Hague. To talk about a Chinese giant's distribution center of the Internet, Alibaba.