Europe Wants New BFFs in East Asia (And It’s Not Just About the Semiconductors)
The EU just swiped right on East Asia in a big way. On Wednesday, the Committee on Foreign Affairs voted overwhelmingly—56 to 6, with 4 MEPs apparently still deciding if they care—to cozy up to Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Why? Because authoritarian vibes are cramping everyone’s style, and Europe needs friends who share its love of democracy and really good tech.
It’s Called Strategic Autonomy, Look It Up
Turns out, relying too heavily on certain countries isn’t great when geopolitics gets spicy. The EU wants to diversify its friendship bracelet collection by partnering with nations that won’t suddenly ghost them during a supply chain crisis. Translation: Europe desperately needs semiconductors, batteries, and critical raw materials, and these East Asian democracies have them in spades.
Japan and South Korea aren’t just bringing snacks to this partnership—they’re bringing AI expertise, defense tech, and serious cybersecurity game. The EU is particularly interested in joint military-industrial projects, especially in aviation and drones. Because nothing says “let’s be friends” like building cool flying machines together.
The Taiwan Question (But Make It Economic)
MEPs are pushing for a dedicated EU-Taiwan cooperation framework, focusing heavily on semiconductors, AI, and cyber security. It’s basically a friendship agreement with extra steps and a whole lot of chips—the computer kind, not the delicious kind.
Keeping an Eye on the Neighborhood
The report doesn’t shy away from addressing the elephant in the room—or rather, the dragon and the bear. With China’s growing influence and Russia’s increasingly cozy relationship with North Korea (complete with possible nuclear program support), Europe wants a united front with its new East Asian squad. They’re even calling for a more coherent policy on North Korea, developed together with Seoul and Tokyo.
As Polish MEP Adam Bielan put it, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine proved that security challenges are “interconnected and global in nature.” In other words: what happens in one corner of the world doesn’t stay there, so let’s all work together before things get weirder.
The full Parliament will vote on this friendship proposal soon. Stay tuned.