The second edition of The Palgrave Handbook of EU-Asia Relations is an entirely new and much expanded publication. The volume takes account of the rapidly changing world in which EU-Asia relations operate: Europe’s relations with the United States, Russia and China have changed fundamentally; the previous emphasis on global cooperation, multilateralism and trade liberalisation has been superseded by the pre-eminence of geopolitical rivalry and a focus on economic security. The Handbook now includes additional chapters on the role of global powers, on a wider range of security and geopolitical challenges and on a greater variety of policy sectors. It also features an extended coverage of the EU’s bilateral relations with all key countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The Handbook brings together an international and multidisciplinary group of scholars to provide cutting-edge assessments of the manifold aspects of these inter-regional relations, making this volume a comprehensive and definitive guide to EU-Asia relations.

Thomas Christiansen is Professor of Political Science and European Integration at Luiss University, Rome, Italy. He is also Editor of the Journal of European Integration and co-editor of the ‘European Administrative Governance’ book series at Palgrave. He has published widely on the institutional politics and external relations of the European Union.

Evi Fitriani is Professor of International Relations and Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia. She has published widely on Indonesia's foreign policy, Asia-Europe relations and international relations in Southeast Asia. Her single-authored monograph Observing the Asia-Europe Meeting from Southeast Asia was published in 2014.

Youngah Guahk is Lecturer in Asian Affairs at Luiss University, Rome, Italy. In her research and publications she has focused on the role of political institutions in South Korea. Her single-authored monograph on Sustainable Development and Local Government in South Korea was published in 2025.

Emil J. Kirchner is Emeritus Professor at the University of Essex, UK. He is holder of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, a Fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences, and was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the University Association of Contemporary Studies.