The EU's main objective in Asia is to help engender the political and social stability of the region, promoting policies to assist in maintaining as much as possible its high rates of economic growth, also for the benefit of Europe's own economy and  citizens.

Sustainable political and social stability in the region will continue to require the advocacy of the EU's values and the spread of more resilient forms of democracy - alongside an improved rules-based multilateral order - aimed at serving the people of the region.

There are multiple challenges for the European Union in the region. These include:

1. Managing the EU's relationship with an increasingly assertive China,
2. Deepening the EU's relations with its strategic partners India, Japan and the Republic of Korea as well as ASEAN,
3. Trying to bring peace to Afghanistan while maintaining the gains made from 18 years' of engagement,
4. Continuing the EU's "critical engagement" with DPRK, 
5. Addressing the root causes and assisting the appropriate return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar,
6. Building the EU as an Asia-Pacific security actor and
7. Starting to create more sustainable connectivity between Europe and Asia – and within Asia - by building transport, digital, energy and people-to-people networks 

The 13^th ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Summit - comprising of the EU, ASEAN secretariat, 30 European and 21 Asian countries – is expected to take place in Phnom Penh in the second half of 2020.