Abstract
While Europe has its focus on the war in Ukraine and an aggressive Russia, the structural trends will continue to increase the geoeconomic and geopolitical importance of Asia in the evolving international order. The US-China great power competition is playing out most intensely in Asia, where the regional states in response are increasing their security cooperation and strengthening their military capacity. Consequently, a multifaceted regional security complex spanning a wide range of economic, technological, political, security and military areas is developing. Europe confronts growing incentives – and growing US expectations – to increase its economic and political engagement as well as its security and defense policy contributions to the region, and this in particular goes for close US allies in Europe like Denmark.