Asia Meets Europe raises questions about the nature of regions and, in particular, about the role of inter-regionalism in a rapidly changing environment.Julie Gilson considers the correlation between Asia and Europe within the framework of the unique post cold-war inter-regional Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). The author then examines the nature of this new type of interaction and its various economic and political forms by exploring the historical precedents and prevailing ideas of region that shape and distort it.

The book also encompasses the challenging roles of private enterprise and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) when faced with state actors who continue to regard regional and inter-regional co-operation with ambivalence.

Asia Meets Europe will be of special interest to academics and researchers of Asian studies, Asia-Europe relations and international political economy. Practitioners involved in policy making in East Asia and Europe will also find the book of use.