External View

Europe should engage Asia, intelligently. The natural instinct for Europe will be to focus on China, Asia’s greatest power. And it should develop close ties with China. But the EU will never be the number one priority for China. It may well come after the United States, Russia and India in importance.

By contrast, the EU could well position itself as the number one Western partner for India, the world’s largest democracy, and for ASEAN, the most successful developing country regional organization. Unfortunately, the EU has failed to develop deep links with either.

The first inconceivable thought that the Europeans will have to plant in their minds is that they can learn lessons from India and ASEAN. As we move away from a monocivilizational world to a multicivilizational world, the most successful multicivilizational laboratory in the world is ASEAN, with Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Confucians, and Hindus living mostly in harmony with each other. No other region in the world can match this record. India too provides lessons in managing diversity.

Unfortunately, instead of viewing India and ASEAN with respect, most Europeans view them with quiet condescension. I know this from personal experience. And Europeans are only damaging their own long-term interests by alienating India and ASEAN.