Reconceptualizing Interregionalism through Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM): A Corpus-Assisted Critical Discourse Analysis

Year 2025, Volume: 4 Issue: 1, 1 - 27, 30.06.2025

Burcu Ermeydan

Abstract

Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) was formed three decades ago to intensify European and Asian relations. Today, it constitutes the widest interregional dialogue mechanism covering 53 countries from Europe to Asia, and it is a special case for regionalism studies. The literature on ASEM discusses its scope, structure, means of cooperation, and possible future scenarios. Yet, the current studies lack an empirical data-based analysis of which themes shape cooperation processes, how regional and international issues reflect upon ASEM, and the extent of change in cooperation themes. In that regard, this study aims to examine ASEM to answer these questions. By using Corpus-Assisted Critical Discourse Analysis (CACDA), this research analyzes the chair’s statements from ASEM Summits between 1996 and 2021 to identify discursive themes, their chronological shifts, and their alignment with ASEM’s three pillars: political, economic, and socio-cultural. The findings of the research reveal that ASEM functions as an intergovernmental forum facilitating interregional dialogue on shared regional and global issues despite criticisms of lacking enforceable outcomes. The study underlines ASEM’s role in fostering dialogue between Asia and Europe and proposes reconceptualizing interregionalism as an integral component of multilateral governance.

Keywords

ASEM , Asia-Europe relations , interregionalism , corpus linguistic , critical discourse analysis

Asya-Avrupa Zirvesi (ASEM) Üzerı̇nden Bölgelerarasılığın Yenı̇den Kavramsallaştırılması: Derlem Desteklı̇ Eleştı̇rel Söylem Analı̇zı̇

Abstract

Asya-Avrupa Zirvesi (ASEM) otuz yıl önce Avrupa ve Asya ilişkilerini yoğunlaştırmak amacıyla kurulmuştur. Bugün Avrupa'dan Asya'ya 53 ülkeyi kapsayan geniş bir bölgelerarası diyalog mekanizması olan ASEM, bölgeselcilik çalışmaları için vakadır. ASEM ile ilgili literatür ASEM'in kapsamını, yapısını, işbirliği araçlarını ve olası gelecek senaryolarını tartışmaktadır. Ancak mevcut çalışmalarda hangi temaların işbirliği süreçlerini şekillendirdiği, bölgesel ve uluslararası meselelerin ASEM'e nasıl yansıdığı ve işbirliği temalarındaki değişimin boyutları ampirik verilere dayalı olarak analiz edilmemektedir. Bu bağlamda, bu çalışma bu soruları yanıtlamak için ASEM'i incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Derlem Destekli Eleştirel Söylem Analizini (CACDA) kullanan bu araştırma, söylemsel temaları, bunların kronolojik değişimlerini ve ASEM'in üç işbirliği sütunu ile uyumlarını belirlemek için 1996-2021 yılları arasındaki ASEM Zirveleri’nde açıklamalarını analiz etmektedir. Araştırmanın bulguları, ASEM'in, uygulanabilir sonuçlardan yoksun olduğu yönündeki eleştirilere rağmen, ortak bölgesel ve küresel konularda bölgelerarası diyaloğu kolaylaştıran bir hükümetler arası forum olarak işlevi gördüğünü ortaya koymaktadır. Çalışma, ASEM'in Asya ve Avrupa arasındaki diyaloğun geliştirilmesindeki rolünün altını çizmekte ve bölgelerarasılığın çok taraflı yönetişimin ayrılmaz bir bileşeni olarak yeniden kavramsallaştırılmasını önermektedir.

Keywords

ASEM , Asya-Avrupa ilişkileri , bölgelerarasılık , derlem dilbilim , eleştirel söylem analizi

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