Intellectual legacies, ethical policies and normative territories: Situating the human rights issue in EU-Asia relations

This article investigates EU foreign policies regarding Human Rights with Asia. The perspective adopted here argues for a consideration of selected, social-constructivist, perspectives. The article emphasizes ideas, identities, values, educational exchange and human rights in EU policy towards Asia. Through a number of case studies, the article demonstrates that there is both an 'enabling' and an 'inhibitory' human rights dynamism in EU-Asia dialogue. The article suggests some ways of translating this into policies. It proposes a more inclusive, 'holistic', understanding of human rights discourse in East-West relations. International Politics (2010) 47, 419-432. doi:10.1057/ip.2010.17; published online 30 April 2010