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EU vows investment in push to boost Southeast Asia ties

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Max Delany, Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Leaders and other dignitaries from the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gather for the 10th ASEAN-EU Business Summit in Brussels, Belgium on December 13, 2022. Photo from the Office of the Press Secretary" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/overseas/12/13/20221213-eu-asian.jpg"/><figcaption>Leaders and other dignitaries from the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gather for the 10th ASEAN-EU Business Summit in Brussels, Belgium on December 13, 2022. <em>Photo from the Office of the Press Secretary</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>BRUSSELS—The EU vowed billions of dollars of investment in Southeast Asia Wednesday, as leaders looked to bolster ties at a summit in the face of the Ukraine war and challenges from China. </p><p>The European Union billed its first full summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Brussels as a chance to push trade relations with the region&#x27;s fast-growing economies. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/12/14/22/eu-asean-summit-to-build-trade-ties-amid-global-tension">EU-ASEAN summit to build trade ties amid global tension</a></li></ul><p>&quot;There might be many, many miles that divide us, but there are much more values that unite us,&quot; European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the gathered leaders.</p><p>But different opinions over Russia&#x27;s war in Ukraine and concerns about tensions with China over a key shipping route for global trade loomed over the meeting. </p><p>The EU has been on a diplomatic push to galvanize a global front against Moscow as its invasion has sent economic and political shock waves around the world. </p><p>ASEAN&#x27;s 10 nations -- nine of which were represented, after Myanmar&#x27;s junta was not invited -- have been divided in their response to the Kremlin&#x27;s war on Ukraine.</p><p>Singapore has gone along with Western sanctions on Russia, while Vietnam and Laos, which have close military ties to Moscow, have remained more neutral. </p><p>Along with Thailand, they abstained from a United Nations vote in October condemning Russia&#x27;s attempted annexation of regions of Ukraine seized since February. </p><p>The diverging views led to intense wrangling over a final declaration from the summit as the EU pushed for stronger language to condemn Moscow.</p><p>A draft of the final statement said &quot;most members&quot; decried Russia&#x27;s war, but conceded there were also &quot;other views and different assessments&quot;. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/12/14/22/marcos-eyes-boosting-asean-eu-trade-investment">Marcos seeks strengthening of trade and investment between ASEAN, EU</a></li></ul><div><strong>CHINA LOOMS</strong></div><p>While Europe pressed for a tougher response to Russia, another global giant figured prominently at the summit. </p><p>Chinese claims over the South China Sea have set it against some neighbors and sparked fears in Europe over trade flows through the key global thoroughfare. </p><p>But China remains the biggest trade partner for ASEAN and many in the region are wary of distancing themselves from their giant neighbor.</p><p>The EU is keen to pitch itself as a reliable partner for southeast Asia&#x27;s dynamic economies amid the growing rivalry between Beijing and Washington. </p><p>The EU and ASEAN are each other&#x27;s third-largest trading partners, and Europe sees the region as a key source of raw materials and wants to increase access to its booming markets.</p><p>EU nations are pushing to diversify key supply chains away from China as the war in Ukraine has highlighted Europe&#x27;s vulnerabilities. </p><p>Von der Leyen offered an investment package over the next five years worth 10 billion euros ($10.6 billion) under the EU&#x27;s Global Gateway strategy designed as a counterweight to China&#x27;s largesse.</p><p>&quot;There is a battle of offers today in the geopolitical arena, not only a battle of narrative,&quot; said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. &quot;We have to offer more.&quot;</p><div><strong>SEX LAW FUROR</strong></div><p>ASEAN and the EU suspended their push for a joint trade deal over a decade ago -- but the bloc&#x27;s top officials said they hoped to relaunch efforts for a broad agreement. </p><p>So far, deals with Vietnam and Singapore are in place, and the EU is looking now to make progress with ASEAN&#x27;s largest economy Indonesia and to resume talks with Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.</p><p>One issue that risked clouding discussions was a new law in Indonesia criminalizing sex outside marriage which has sparked fears for foreign visitors to the country.</p><p>Indonesia&#x27;s President Joko Widodo insisted though that the EU-ASEAN relationship needed to be based more on &quot;equality&quot;. </p><p>&quot;There must be no imposition of views,&quot; he said. </p><p>&quot;There must not be one who dictates over the other and thinks that my standard is better than yours.&quot;</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WIFE8siYQTc?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The EU vowed billions of dollars of investment in Southeast Asia Wednesday, as leaders looked to bolster ties at a summit in the face of the Ukraine war and challenges from China. 

EU vows investment in push to boost Southeast Asia ties

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EU vows investment in push to boost Southeast Asia ties

Max Delany,

Agence France-Presse

Published December 15, 2022 01:59 AM PHT

Read More:

Southeast Asia

EU

European Union

ASEAN

Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Brussels

Belgium

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