The United States and Europe are grappling with the implications of the rise of Asia and how it might impact the spectrum of foreign policy, economic, and domestic challenges facing the transatlantic allies. Policymakers in Washington, Brussels, and other European capitals face problems and issues that can no longer be successfully addressed without involving key Asian powers. Similarly, the major Asian states have an interest in deepening their connections to the transatlantic world in ways that go beyond traditional bilateral ties with the United States and Europe.

The growing focus on Asia also raises questions about the primacy of the transatlantic alliance. The U.S. strategic “pivot” to Asia and the gap between U.S. and European strategic approaches to the region could lead to transatlantic divisions in the years ahead. The rivalries between the major powers in Asia, their strategies within the region, and how they position themselves vis-à-vis the United States and the West as a whole, will do much to shape the geopolitical order in the coming decades. There are also more immediate challenges for Europe and the United States to grapple with in the region, from the situations in Afghanistan and Pakistan to the roles of several of the world's largest economies in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.