The international system is undergoing a fundamental change from unipolarity to multipolarity and is facing a growing importance of Asia in world politics. In order to build Global Governance for the 21st century the multipolar state-system must be complemented and linked with structures of multilateral cooperation.

This student-friendly textbook offers a comprehensive introduction to globalization studies and the European Union within a multipolar world. It provides its readers with critical analysis of the key concepts of multilateral global and regional governance and Europe’s role in the world; and this in an accessible and intelligible fashion. This volume collects contributions by eminent scholars from world class universities from five different continents. As such, this unique exercise in transnational multi-disciplinary cooperation, provides extensive coverage of the main issues pertaining to multilateral cooperation - notably its history, troubles, legitimacy challenges and efficiency questions - from a variety of national perspectives. The book covers the major issues confronting students of European and global studies, amongst which: pressing security challenges, new forms of institutionalized cooperation, shifting international trade flows, the notion of responsibility to protect, social imbalances and environmental emergencies, the need for less contingent forms of legitimacy for global regulation, as well as global public opinion and transnational civil society networks. Each chapter includes a summary of its salient points; methodological indications; illuminating illustrations; and a suggested list for further reading. This textbook strives to help students develop a better and more secure grasp of the innovative balance between interdisciplinary openness and disciplinary rigor when engaging with global governance studies, comparative regionalism, normative studies, international political economy or international law.

This Handbook addresses the increasingly contested issue of profound political importance: Europe's presence in multilateral institutions. It assesses both the evolving role of Europe in international institutions, and the transformations in international institutions themselves.

The contributors attempt to look into how China and Europe differently interpret political concepts such as: sovereignty, soft power, human rights, democracy, stability, strategic partnership, multilateralism/multipolarization, and global governance, to examine what implications of their conceptual gaps may have on China-EU relations.

Negotiations for a new EU-China Partnership & Cooperation Agreement have just got underway and are likely to take two to three years. This is the first book to explore the wide range of issues affecting the China-EU relationship, including the US factor, environmental issues, WTO, governance, trade matters, civil society, democracy, the RMB, energy security, arms embargo, UN reform, Taiwan, Japan, North Korea, Africa and many others. The result of an intense, collaborative exercise between over 30 respected Chinese and European scholars, this timely book highlights the necessity of a China-EU relationship and why it will be mutually beneficial. Recommendations for the harmonious development of relations between China and the EU are offered as well. Sample Chapter(s). Foreword by Chris Patten, the last Governor of Hong Kong from 1992 to 1997 (23 KB). A New Agenda (61 KB). Chapter 1: Key Elements of a Strategic Partnership (64 KB). Annex: List of Contributors (1,619 KB). Contents: Foreword (C Patten); A New Agenda (E Reuter); Strategic Issues: Key Elements of a Strategic Partnership (F Cameron & Y-N Zheng); Environment (D O'Gorman & C-Q Zhu); Energy (Y-F Ding); Security Issues (H Xing); The Reform of the UN (G Geeraerts, Z-M Chen & G Macaj); Geopolitics: The US Factor (A Small); Taiwan (J W Blankert); China and Its Neighbors (J Zhang); Japan (F Zhu); North Korea (G Ford); Iran (S Crossick & B-Y Wu); Africa (T-J Zhang); Trade Matters: The World Trade Organization (Y-F Ding); Market Economy Status (J-S Li); The RMB in the Global Currency Market (W van der Geest); The Arms Embargo (X-B Guo); Cultural and Social Reflections: Mutuality: Confucius and Monnet (S Crossick & H Zhou); Similarities and Differences (G Wacker); Governance (J-S Li); Developing a Chinese Civil Society (T Heberer); Knowledge, Economic Development and Democracy in China (J Wong); Promoting Mutual Understanding (S Crossick). Readership: Academics and think-tankers; decision-makers; opinion-formers; broader public policy audience.

Michael Leifer, who died in 2001, was one of the leading scholars of Southeast Asian international relations. He was hugely influential through his extensive writings and his contacts with people in government and business in the region. In this book, many of Leifer’s students, colleagues and friends come together to explore the key themes of his work on Southeast Asia, including the notion of ‘order’, security, maritime law and foreign policy. The book concludes with an overall assessment of Leifer’s background, worldview and impact on his field. A scholarly and personal volume devoted to Leifer's vast contributions to the discipline of international relations, this text is a must-read for students and scholars specializing in the region.

To avoid a repeat of those nationalist nightmares, a common European Dream emerged after WWII, which has since developed into some essential doctrines of European integration. This dream-inspired institutionalist context has framed intergovernmental bargaining, sectoral spillovers and transnational cooperation in European integration. The powerful European Dream has even encouraged Europeans toward closer integration, though they were, quite often, very reluctant to go further. This dream-driven approach and reluctant runner’s model have highlighted some fundamental realities of European integration, extremely inspiring for the future of the EU and the ongoing Asian regionalism. This book consists of three parts and thirteen chapters. It aims to explain European integration, the EU’s role in global governance and the EU’s impact upon Asian regionalism with the help of the European Dream approach and reluctant runners’ model. Trump’s unilateralism, the rising tensions between the US and PRC and the COVID-19 pandemic may be a turning point for world politics. Both globalization and global governance have consequently slowed down, giving place to regionalism and inter-regionalism. This book hopes to contribute to the rising debate over European integration, Asian regionalism and EU-Asian inter-regionalism.

Preface / Willam S. Tay and Alvin Y. So -- 1. Development model / Alvin Y. So -- 2. Politics / Kam-Yee Law -- 3. Social change / Xiaogang Wu -- 4. Law / Bin Liang -- 5. Population / Zhongdong Ma -- 6. Ethnicity / Barry Sautman -- 7. Foreign policy / Simon Shen -- 8. Environment / Yok-shiu Lee, Carlos Wing-hung Lo and Anna Ka-Yin Lee -- 9. Urbanization / Fulong Wu -- 10. Higher education / Ka-ho Mok and Li Wang -- 11. Religion / David A. Palmer -- 12. Literature / Ling-tun Ngai -- 13. Cinema / Rui Zhang -- 14. Consumption and leisure / Kevin Latham -- 15. Internet and civil society / Guobin Yang

The Handbook provides a comprehensive range of contributions on the relations between the EU and Asia - two regions undergoing significant changes internally yet also developing stronger relations in the context of an emerging multi-polar world. It collates some 40 contributions from various disciplines by contributors from throughout the world.