Leaders from the European Union and from a host of Asian countries are meeting in Brussels, Belgium, this week for a high-level gathering that is due to tackle subjects like economic cooperation, trade and investment, and climate change. The meeting, along with related summits scheduled this week in the Belgian capital, will also see Singapore and the EU sign their long-awaited trade and investment accords. In total, officials from 51 countries will begin meeting as of Thursday evening, with the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) to be chaired by European Council President Donald Tusk for talks on “Europe and Asia: global partners for global challenges." The biennial event will cover topics such as multilateralism; international and regional approaches to trade and investment; cooperation on climate action, including the UN’s Paris Agreement, and opportunities for collaboration on boosting connectivity in the Asian continent. Shifting trade landscape The ASEM comes at a key time in international trade, as countries weigh how to approach international and regional cooperation in the current era, particularly given the rising use of unilateral measures by the US, as well as questions over whether and how to update the current multilateral trading system to fit existing and future needs and...