korean peninsula

Early next month, the European Union and China are set to hold the 24th bilateral summit. The last EU-China summit was held via video conference in April 2022. It took place against the background of China’s countermeasures to EU sanctions on human rights, Chinese economic coercion and trade measures against the single market, and most importantly, Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine and Beijing’s unwillingness to condemn the invasion. Earlier this year, the European Council reaffirmed the EU’s multifaceted policy approach towards China, which is based on the judgment that China is simultaneously a partner, a competitor, and a systemic rival. However, that balancing act is getting more and more difficult.

Host Bonnie Glaser is joined by Mr. Gunnar Wiegand, who has recently retired from the post of Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service, which he held for 7 ½ years. He is now a visiting professor at the College of Europe and the Paris School of International Affairs, and as of November 1, 2023, he has joined GMF’s Indo-Pacific program as a visiting distinguished fellow. 

Timestamps

[01:39] EU-China Relations on the Eve of the 24th Bilateral Summit

[05:13] Impact of the War in Ukraine on EU-China Relations

[07:29] How could China alleviate concerns in Europe? 

[09:33] De-risking in the European Union

[15:27] Proportionate and Precise Economic Security

[18:27] How similar are EU and US perceptions of China?

[22:13] The EU’s Stance on Taiwan

[26:19] How can EU contribute to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait?

[27:21] Outcomes of the Biden-Xi Summit

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For this episode we're taking a look at one of the world’s most intractable geopolitical issues - North Korea - as the second of our collaborations with the Centre for Security, Strategy and Diplomacy at the Brussels School of Governance. 

South Korea’s president Moon Jae-in has just been in Washington for talks with President Biden, in part to discuss how to deal with the long-isolated country. 

And in its first comments reacting to that meeting, Pyongyang has signalled it was not best pleased - warning that what it called the U.S.’s hostile policy against the North could lead to an “acute and unstable situation” on the Korean Peninsula. 

The last few years have of course seen plenty of drama, but little resolution around the North Korean issue - Donald Trump's historic talks with Kim Jong Un being a prime example of both phenomena. 

So has there been any real progress on the Korean Peninsula?  What is the best and most realistic way forward now? Is it time, for example, to give up the goal of fully denuclearising North Korea? 

This week we are joined by CSDS's Korea Chair, Ramon Pacheco Pardo, who is also an associate professor at King’s College, London. Our other distinguished guest is Sue Mi Terry, a senior fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, her latest post in a stellar career following Korean issues in the worlds of intelligence, policy making and academia. 

This episode is a collaboration with the CSDS, home to a rich expertise on Asia and is working to enhance understanding of Asia’s security matters in Europe and promote greater engagement between the two regions.

As ever - you can find out more on our website, www.asiamatterspod.com

In this episode of the Monsoon Podcast, Greg Thomson explores Korea's divide – not between the North and South, but on whether reunification is wanted and workable at all.

In the decades since the Korean War, a reunified Korea has become an increasingly far-flung dream. Yet 2018 brought a glimmer of hope, with North and South Korea engaging in ground-breaking dialogue and cooperation politically, economically, and socially.

Why is this a dream for some and ringing alarm bells for others? Is South Korean President Moon Jae-in really representing the people by advocating for unification? And is re-unification even possible as the political and cultural divide between the nations grows ever-wider?

On this Monsoon Podcast, Greg Thomson takes these tough questions to two experts.

Lauren Richardson is the Director of Studies at the ANU Asia Pacific College of Diplomacy. Her research focuses on the role of non-state actors in shaping diplomatic interactions in the context of Northeast Asia, particularly Japan-Korea relations.

Olga Krasnyak is a researcher in diplomatic studies at Yonsei University's Underwood International College. She holds a PhD in History and has lived in South Korea for eleven years. Her areas of expertise include foreign policy, international relations, and science, cultural and public diplomacy.

Feature image source: Republic of Korea

Music: Inspired by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Over-confident Democrats take comfort in the history of mid-term elections in a new president’s first term: for nearly two centuries, the party in power almost always loses seats in Congress.

But Republicans should feel encouraged by the only exception to that rule since FDR: in 2002, George W. Bush defied history and Republicans gained strength in both the House and Senate. Low expectations for Bush in foreign policy meant that his strong response to 9/11 looked especially impressive.

If President Trump makes serious progress in upcoming Korea negotiations, he too could beat expectations and powerfully improve GOP prospects. Already, foreign leaders like South Korea’s Moon are promoting Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and such talk could intensify as the election approaches.

Reduced tensions on the Korean Peninsula would be good for the world, good for America and great for embattled GOP candidates in House and Senate races.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over-confident Democrats take comfort in the history of mid-term elections in a new president’s first term: for nearly two centuries, the party in power almost always loses seats in Congress.

But Republicans should feel encouraged by the only exception to that rule since FDR: in 2002, George W. Bush defied history and Republicans gained strength in both the House and Senate. Low expectations for Bush in foreign policy meant that his strong response to 9/11 looked especially impressive.

If President Trump makes serious progress in upcoming Korea negotiations, he too could beat expectations and powerfully improve GOP prospects. Already, foreign leaders like South Korea’s Moon are promoting Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and such talk could intensify as the election approaches.

Reduced tensions on the Korean Peninsula would be good for the world, good for America and great for embattled GOP candidates in House and Senate races.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.