Arms in Asia: The EU, Weapons Exports and South-East Asia

CSDS POLICY BRIEF • 15/2023

By Fabio Figiaconi

22.05.2023

South-east Asia has been recently affected by spill-overs emanating from Sino-American competition and by Beijing’s assertive behaviour in the South China Sea. To respond to these challenges, many regional states are adopting more pronounced defensive postures and are resupplying their arsenals. Even if often overlooked, European Union member states’ arms transfers to south-east Asia represent an important share of the region’s total. Yet, so far, these sales have not been underpinned by any underlying EU strategy fully taking into account the impact and consequences that they have for the region’s military balance. Considering the importance of south-east Asia for Europe’s prosperity, the current developments towards a more proactive EU role in security affairs and its newfound role as an arms supplier to Ukraine it is necessary and timely to reflect on how to leverage arms transfers to the region in the way that best fits Europe’s strategic interests.

CSDS Policy brief_2315.pdf (431.32 KB)

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