Trust-building in North East Asia and the role of the EU

International conference organised by the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) with the kind support of the Korea Foundation (KF)

The Far East is today the world’s most dynamic economic area, contributing for more than half to global growth. Yet, North Korea’s nuclear programme continues to be a threat to regional peace, while China’s rise takes place outside of - and in potential opposition to - the US system of alliances which has been a factor of stability in the region. Asia’s policy makers are therefore increasingly looking for ways to accommodate these changing power relations in an environment still beset by competing nationalisms.

On 21 October 2016, IAI organised - with the kind support of the Korea Foundation -  an international conference on the question of peace and security in North East Asia, examining in particular the efforts, and the initiatives, aimed at regional cooperation and trust-building undertaken by the leaderships of the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan and the People’s Republic of China in recent times. Particular attention was given to the process of Trilateral Cooperation and Seoul’s proposal of a ‘North East Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative’ (NAPCI), including discussion of the role that the European Union - and Italy – would be playing in supporting the NAPCI as well as other regional initiatives aimed at reconciliation and trust-building in North East Asia.