As part of the wider Indo-Pacific, East Asia has vital geostrategic importance for the EU and is facing important challenges to the rules-based international order. The Indo-Pacific is undergoing rapid change, and as home to more than 50% of the world’s population it is becoming a key geostrategic region. Two thirds of the world’s container trade passes through the Indo-Pacific and its sea lanes are the main routes for trade and energy supplies. The EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific was adopted in September 2021 to increase the EU’s engagement, build partnerships and reinforce the rules-based international order and address global challenges. The EU is adapting its current instruments to support its strategic autonomy. Its Strategic Compass for Security and Defence, formally approved by the Council in March 2022, promotes an open and rules-based regional security architecture, including secure maritime routes, capacity-building and an enhanced naval presence in the Indo-Pacific. East Asia faces security concerns such as the nuclear challenge in North Korea, the maritime disputes in the East and the South China Seas, and the Taiwan issue. The EU is a strong economic player in East Asia and is working to foster fair trade, multilateralism, institution building, democracy, good governance and human rights.
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- Belgium
