Rethinking Global Order
The discussion conveyed a shared understanding that the international order is no longer what it once used to be. The stability that characterised previous decades has given way to a more fluid and unpredictable landscape in which long-standing assumptions about power and leadership are being challenged. The challenge for Europe is to preserve the remnants of the liberal world order while adapting to changing circumstances. The task is to maintain transatlantic cooperation for as long as possible while developing the strategic autonomy necessary to act independently should US engagement continue to wane.
The exchange focused on the realisation that the liberal world order itself was created by those ‘who were there when it was created’ – primarily the United States and Europe. What once seemed universal has become more controversial as new centres of influence emerge and demand recognition. The global system, once directed by a small group of powers, is evolving into a more pluralistic environment that reflects the voices and interests of a wider world.
This transformation raises the question of legitimacy: how can an order conceived in one era remain credible in another? The answer, it has been suggested, depends less on who writes the rules than on whether the system itself becomes inclusive enough to sustain cooperation. Reforming existing institutions or creating new avenues for dialogue may both prove necessary to ensure that global governance keeps pace with a world that has outgrown its original design.
Trade and Economic Interdependence
Economic relations formed a second thread of the discussion. Europe’s challenge lies in sustaining open markets at a time when both major powers, the United States and China, have disrupted the multilateral trade framework in different ways. The U.S. retreat from the WTO and its turn toward tariffs has weakened confidence in the system, while China’s export scale and market dominance have produced structural imbalances.
Against this backdrop, there is increasing debate on how to safeguard the principles of free and fair trade beyond traditional institutions. Europe seeks to uphold open exchange while avoiding the pitfalls of asymmetry that have characterised past trade relationships. Meanwhile, China’s recent signals of giving up its developing-country status in new agreements suggest an acknowledgment of its changed economic position, a move that could mark the beginning of a more balanced playing field.
Trade relations between Europe and Southeast Asia were also discussed through this lens of pragmatism. Many governments, faced with global uncertainty, are lowering expectations in pursuit of workable agreements. Yet, the need for reciprocity remains clear: the next generation of trade partnerships must move beyond unequal frameworks toward relationships built on parity, trust, and shared benefit.
Security and Strategic Balance
Security dynamics formed the third major theme. For Europe, the ongoing confrontation with Russia continues to dominate the strategic horizon. Drone incursions, airspace violations, and other hybrid tactics illustrate a deliberate attempt to test Europe’s unity and resilience. The broader concern is not only military preparedness but also societal endurance, the ability to sustain cohesion in the face of persistent pressure.
Asia’s security outlook, by contrast, revolves around maintaining equilibrium in a “G-zero” world, one where no single actor guarantees global order. China’s growing influence was described as deliberate and calculated rather than reckless; its expanding capabilities serve more as leverage than as aggression. The presence of European vessels in Indo-Pacific Sea lanes was seen as a stabilising signal, if cooperation avoids overt militarisation or NATO involvement, which could risk escalation.
Partnership, Unity, and Diversification
Throughout the dialogue, a broader theme emerged: the search for balance. Europe continues to manage internal differences while striving for a coherent external strategy, whereas many Asian governments, preoccupied with domestic challenges, nonetheless watch Europe’s direction closely. Across both regions, diversification has become the defining feature of foreign policy. No country seeks dependence on a single partner, whether the United States or China. Instead, a growing number are building new corridors of cooperation to preserve autonomy and strategic flexibility.
The panel discussion underscored a shared understanding that Europe and Asia are navigating the same uncertain world from different vantage points. Both face the task of adapting legacy systems to new realities. Sustaining stability, open trade, and security in this environment will depend less on dominance and more on equality, respect, and pragmatic cooperation, a recognition that in a multipolar age, partnership itself has become a strategic necessity.
