Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

European experience for East Asian integration: ideas, national interests, and the international circumstance

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Asia Europe Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper traces the possibility of East Asian integration through comparison with the early stage of European integration on three different levels: ideas, national interests, and international circumstance. Judging from the European experience, ideas always come first, then national interest contests, and eventually the international circumstance conditions the context. I compare the multilateral approach in Europe with the imperial hegemony competition in East Asia, Adenauer’s regionalization policy in Europe with the Yoshida line of Westernization detouring from Asia, and the US and Russia’s different roles in the two regions as external forces constraining the international order. My conclusion for the future of East Asia is located somewhere between views of procedural divergence and fundamental skepticism. I worry about integration for the sake of integration in which regional integration is presupposed as inherently good. Such discourse will easily be deteriorated and such a blind community simply collapses when circumstances change. For these reasons, there needs to be an adequate discussion regarding for what, by whom, and through which method integration is achieved.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adenauer K (1963) Memoirs 1945–1953. Henry Regnery Company, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahn JG (2005) Theory for the East Asian peace. In: Baek YS (ed) Recognition of East Asia by East Asian people.. Munhak & Jisung, Seoul

    Google Scholar 

  • Akaha T (2007) Non-traditional security cooperation for regionalism in Northeast Asia. In: Mori K, Hirano K (eds) A new East Asia: Toward a regional community. National University of Singapore Press, Singapore

    Google Scholar 

  • Akaha T (1998) Asia-Pacific regionalism and Northeast Asia subregionalism. Global Economic Review 27(4)

  • Baek YS et al (2005) Regional order in East Asia. Changjak & Bipyong, Seoul

    Google Scholar 

  • Baek YS et al (2002) Return of East Asia. Changjak & Bipyong, Seoul

    Google Scholar 

  • Choi WS et al (2000) East Asia as an invention. Munhak & Jisung, Seoul

    Google Scholar 

  • Choi YJ (2004) Regional integration in East Asia: Theory, current situation, and prospect. In: Solidarity of Intellectuals in Northeast Asia (ed) Toward Northeast Asian Community. Donga Daily Newspaper, Seoul

    Google Scholar 

  • Cini M (2003) European Union Politics. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • De Gaulle C (1971) Memoirs of hope: Renewal and endeavor. Simon and Schuster, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Dieter H (2003) Exploring alternative theories of economic regionalism: from trade to finance in Asian cooperation? Review of International Political Economy 10(3)

  • Dinan D (2004) Europe recast. Lynne Rienner, Boulder

    Google Scholar 

  • EC (1990) Europe-A fresh start: The Schuman declaration, 1950–90. Office for Official Publication of EC, Brussel

    Google Scholar 

  • Fukuzawa Y (2006) Memoir. Isan, Seoul

    Google Scholar 

  • Maruyama M (2007) Reading outline of civilization. Munhak Dongne, Seoul

    Google Scholar 

  • Haas E (1958) The Uniting Europe. Stanford University Press, Stanford

    Google Scholar 

  • Han Y (2006) Peace regime in East Asia. In: Moon JI, Kim MS (eds) War and peace in East Asia. Yonsei University Press, Seoul

    Google Scholar 

  • Ham JB (2000) Confucian capitalism and democracy. Tradition and Modernity, Seoul

    Google Scholar 

  • Hiroshi N (ed) (2007) Yoshida Shigeru: Last Meiji Man. Lowman & Littlefield, Boulder

  • Holland M, Ryan P, Nowak A, Chaban N (eds) (2007) The EU through the eyes of Asia. WWZ, Singapore

  • Itoh M (2005) Economic integration in East Asia: A Japanese viewpoint. In: Moon WS, Andreosso-O, Callaghan B (eds) Regional Integration-Europe and Asia compared. Ashgate, Aldershot

    Google Scholar 

  • James R (ed) (1974) Winston Churchill: His complete speeches, 1897–1963. Chelsea House, London

  • Jo SH (2004) Political theory of East Asianism. In: Solidarity of intellectuals in Northeast Asia (ed) Toward Northeast Asian community. Donga Daily Newspaper, Seoul

    Google Scholar 

  • Katzenstein P (2000) Regionalism and Asia. New Political Economy 5(3)

  • Katzenstein P, Hemmer C (2002) Why is there No NATO in Asia? Collective identity, regionalism, and the origins of multilateralism. International Organization 56(3)

  • Kim CO (1999) The process of European economic integration and its tasks. Journal of EU Studies 4(1)

  • Kim JK, Ruffini PB (2007) Corporate strategies in the age of regional integration. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim MS, Lee DY (2005) The ideal and reality of northeast Asian community: searching for cultural alternatives. Korea and World Affairs 21(2)

  • Kim NK (2009) Globalization and regional integration in Europe and Asia. Ashgate, Aldershot

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim SH, Schmitter P (2005) The experience of European integration and potential for Northeast Asian integration. Asian Perspective 29(2)

  • Kim YB, Koo KW (2000) Regional international economic organization : its formation and institutional form in East Asia. Korea & World Politics 16(2)

  • Koo CK (2002) Developmets and changes in the European regional cooperation and its political implications for East Asia. Journal of Korean Diplomacy 24(2)

  • Koyas N (2003) Asianism, Pan-Asianism, and East Asia. Yoksabipeongsa, Seoul

    Google Scholar 

  • Kwon Y (2006) East Asian Summit: The present and prospect. Foreign economic policy

  • Lawson S (2005) Culture, value, and regional integration in Asia: Critical reflections on the politics of regional identity. In: Moon WS, Andreosso-O, Callaghan B (eds) Regional Integration-Europe and Asia compared. Ashgate, Aldershot

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee SC et al (2005) East Asian community: Vision and prospect. Hanyang University Press, Seoul

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee SH (2006) Norheast Asian cooperation initiative. PCNACI, Seoul

    Google Scholar 

  • Levine S (2007) Asian values and the asia pacific community: shared interests and common concerns. Politics and Policy 35(1)

  • Lipgens W (ed) (1985) Documents on the history of European integration, Vol. 1. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin

  • Min MH (2005) A study on the educational and cultural policies of the European Union in the 1990s -With special reference to policy implications for the East Asian community. Discourse 201, 8/2

  • Monnet J (1962) A ferment of change. Journal of Common Market Studies 1(1)

  • Moon WS, Andreosso-O’Callaghan B (eds) (2005) Regional Integration-Europe and Asia compared. Ashgate, Aldershot

  • Moon WS (2009) Price convergence in East Asia and implication for regional integration. In: Kim NK (ed) Globalization and regional integration in Europe and Asia. Ashgate, Aldershot

    Google Scholar 

  • Moravcsik A (1998) The choice for Europe. University College London Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray P (2005) Should Asia emulate Europe? In: Moon WS, Andreosso-O, Callaghan B (eds) Regional Integration-Europe and Asia Compared. Ashgate, Aldershot

    Google Scholar 

  • Ogawa E, Junko S (2007) Progress toward a Common Currency Basket System in East Asia. RIETI Discussion Paper Series, 06-E-038

  • Park KS (1999) The process and outlook of the East Asian regionalism in the light of economic cooperation in the EU. Journal of European Studies 4(2)

  • Pempel TJ (2007) Northeast Asian economic integration: a region in Flux. Asia Pacific Review 14(2)

  • Pocock JGA (1997) What do we mean by Europe? The Wilson Quarterly 21(1)

  • Rothacher A (2005) Uniting Europe. Journey between gloom and glory. Imperial College Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Rovan J (1992) Identités Nationales et Conscience Européenne. Institut d’allemand d’Asnières, Asnières

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun YS (2005) Pan-Asianism In: Youngseo B (ed) Recognition of East Asia by East Asian People. Munhak & Jisung, Seoul

    Google Scholar 

  • Tarui T (1963) A theory of great East Asian annexation. Daedongsook, Tokyo

    Google Scholar 

  • Wada H (2003) Northeast Asia’s shared house. Ilzogak, Seoul

    Google Scholar 

  • Webber D, Fort B (eds) (2006) Regional integration in Europe and East Asia: Convergence or divergence? Routledge, London

  • Welfens P, Knipping F (2007) Integration in Asia and Europe: Historical dynamics, political issues, and economic perspectives. Springer, N.Y

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoo SC (2003) The issues of social capital theory. Green, Seoul

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu HS (2003) Explaining the emergence of New East Asian regionalism: beyond power and interest based approach. Asian Perspective 27(1)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Seoul National University, Graduate School of International Studies, Gwanak-Ro 599, Seoul, 151-742, South Korea

    Nam-Kook Kim

Authors
  1. Nam-Kook Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nam-Kook Kim.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kim, NK. European experience for East Asian integration: ideas, national interests, and the international circumstance. Asia Eur J 7, 295–312 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10308-008-0208-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10308-008-0208-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation