The Role of ASEAN's Identities in Reshaping the ASEAN–EU Relationship

In 2017, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) celebrated the fortieth anniversary of dialogue relations. However, it is only in the past decade that ASEAN's strategic importance in the EU's external relations has grown. Given the limited scholarly attention that has been devoted to this change in ASEAN–EU relations, this article explores why there has been a greater level of engagement and approximation between the EU and ASEAN. In particular, it asks why the EU, which had long been reluctant to recognize ASEAN as a strategic partner, has changed its policy towards ASEAN. Looking beyond the conventional Eurocentric explanations, this article draws on constructivism—which focuses on the role of perceptions and identities in shaping international politics—and argues that ASEAN's identities have played a significant role in reshaping ASEAN–EU interactions. Specifically, the article maintains that the corporate and social identities ASEAN has constructed have contributed to the EU's revised attitude towards ASEAN, which has in turn led the EU to modify its policy vis-à-vis ASEAN.