The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresitable Shift of Global Power To The East

by Kishore Mahbubani

For centuries, the Asians (Chinese, Indians, Muslims, and others) have been bystanders in world history. Now they are ready to become co-drivers. Asians have finally understood, absorbed, and implemented Western best practices in many from free-market economics to modern science and technology, from meritocracy to rule of law. They have also become innovative in their own way, creating new patterns of cooperation not seen in the West. Will the West resist the rise of Asia? The good news is that Asia wants to replicate, not dominate, the West. For a happy outcome to emerge, the West must gracefully give up its domination of global institutions, from the IMF to the World Bank, from the G7 to the UN Security Council. History teaches that tensions and conflicts are more likely when new powers emerge. This, too, may happen. But they can be avoided if the world accepts the key principles for a new global partnership spelled out in The New Asian Hemisphere.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Economics, Asia, Business, China, Political Science

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Kishore Mahbubani (born 24 October 1948) is a Singaporean academic and former diplomat. He is currently Professor in the Practice of Public Policy at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

From 1971 to 2004 he served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations. In that role, he served as President of the United Nations Security Council in January 2001 and May 2002.

On 6 November 2017, Mahbubani announced that he would retire from the position as Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School at the end of 2017.

Reviews

[آلاء · Rating 4 out of 5]

كم مرة نبحث عن كتاب عن تاريخ مصر أو السودان أو السعودية أو أي بلد كان، أو عما يمر بنا من أحداث فنجد كتابا لعالم اجتماع أو مفكر غربي فننكر ما بالكتاب لمّا نجده غير صحيح ويغيّر كثيرًا من الحقائق.. ويكون الحل ببساطة أن نكتب الحقيقة بأنفسنا ونترك للناس الاختيار.
وكانت هذه من أهم مقومات كتاب نصف العالم الآسيوي الجديد.. فالسياسي والباحث "كيشور محبوباني" يعرض لنا وجهة النظر الآسيوية من حيث أتى، كمواطن سنغافوري عمل دبلوماسيًا ودرّس العلوم السياسية بالجامعة مما منحه فائدة الجانبين: العملي والأكاديمي، فيما يقدمه خلال كتابه

يبدأ الكتاب بمجموعة سيناريوهات قد يتحرك العالم تجاه أي منها حسب ما ستفعله الدول التي تقلدت قيادة العالم في العصر الحالي، ثم يحاول التحدث إلى القارئ الغربي الذي اعتاد معرفة العالم من عيون مفكريه دون معرفة رأي باقي العالم، وهل يقبل باقي سكان الكوكب وضعهم كمفعول به في التاريخ العالمي إلى الأبد.. يعدد كيشور الأخطاء في المفاهيم الغربية حول سيادة النموذج الغربي على باقي العالم واقتناع القادة الغربيين بضرورة تطبيق هذا النموذج دون اعتبار للاختلافات الثقافية، وبين الرعونة الغربية في الاعتقاد بحتمية تطبيق الديمقراطية الغربية في العالم دون مراعاة طبيعة البلاد مما سبب كوارث في بلاد مثل صربيا بمجيء سلوبودان ميلوسفيتش وفي العراق الذي يعاني حتى الآن بسبب الحرب المدمرة عليه.. وأيضا المذبحة الأهلية المدمرة في رواندا والتي لم يتحمل الغرب دوره في اخماد تلك الحرب التي سببها تغيير الأوضاع المفاجئ بعد سنوات من الاستعمار.

بعدما يوضح الكاتب مشكلات النموذج الغربي في فهم العالم
يشيد بعوامل نجاحه الاقتصادية التي تبناها الشرق الآسيوي وكانت سبباً في نهضته التي تحققت في وقت اقصر مما احتاجه الغرب الذي سبقها في النهضة..

وبتطبيق مجموعة من العوامل هي (اقتصاد السوق الحر والبراجماتية والتعليم والتكنولوجيا ومبدأ الجدارة والاستحقاق)
انتقلت دول آسيوية مثل سنغافورة واليابان والصين وغيرها من دول أقصى الشرق من الفقر والظروف الاقتصادية السيئة إلى أعلى معدلات الرفاهية العالمية وهذا الصعود يقابل بشك وتوتر غربي لما يتضمنه من نقص للنصيب الغربي في الاقتصاد العالمي وهو ما حدث بالفعل ويوضح أسباب الخوف الأمريكي من عدم استمرار أحقيته بالقيادة العالمية مع صعود الصين والهند.. ويينتقد الكاتب استمرار العالم في الموافقة على استمرار المؤسسات العالمية ومنظمات بريتون وودز بشكلها الذي كانت عليه منذ نهاية الحرب العالمية الثانية وانتصار الغرب..
هذا الشكل الذي لم يعد ملائما في ظل الأوضاع الحالية فليس مبررا أن يظل لروسيا وفرنسا وبريطانيا عضوية دائمة وفيتو بمجلس مع استمرار دول آسيوية أكثر قوة بالخارج..

يتناول الكاتب بالتفصيل نموذجي صعود الهند والصين عند أخذهما بعوامل النجاح الاقتصادي الغربي والتي أدركها جيدا الزعيم الصيني دينج شياو بينج الذي اقترن اسمه بالبراجماتية وصاحب مقولة "لا يهم لون القط سواء كان أبيض أو أسود طالما يصطاد الفئران" كانت تلك العقلية هي التي مكنته من تغيير توجه الصين الاقتصادي من اقتصاد مركزي موجه إلى اقتصاد السوق الحر فأحدث طفرة حقيقية في حياة الشعب الصيني بعد معاناة مع الثورة الثقافية الماوية..

يري الكاتب مستقبل النظام العالمي الذي يتجه باطراد نحو الشرق في ظل عدم الكفاءة الغربية الملحوظ في معالجة كثير من القضايا العالمية مثل الإرهاب الذي شغل الغرب بمحاربته العالم وعاد خاسرا من معركته في أفغانستان وغيرها وقضية الاحتباس الحراري التي ترفض قيادات أمريكا اتخاذ قرارات في طريق حل تلك القضية حتى لا تتأثر شعبيتها بين مواطنين هم الأكثر استهلاكا للوقود الحفري.. هذه التحديات سيكون التصرف حيالها عاملا مؤثرا في مستقبل القيادة العالمية الغربية..
وإن لم يوافق الغرب على قبول حقيقة أنه لم يعد الفاعل الوحيد في التاريخ العالمي سيكون من الصعب التنبؤ بالفوضى الحادثة مع تنازع دفة القيادة.
Tue, 25 April, 2023📚

[Leonidas · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've travelled abroad, in particular to east Asia, this book will provide a lot of relevance to you. In particular, the rapid growth of east Asia, and how it will eventually become more wealthy and more powerful than the current western societies.

Initially, I found the generalization of the West, and in particular, the United States as being the bad guy to be slightly interesting, and perhaps a bit hyperbolic and annoying.

But Kishore makes some great points about the corruption of power and perceived 'moral high ground' of the west. Specifically, every nation western/European nation adhering to what the United States wants.

Furthermore, Kishore makes some points about the United Nations and the IMF being simple puppets for western vested interests. Both the UN and IMF are over represented by 'western' nations, and contain minimal representation from the other regions of the world such as Asia, Latin America, and Africa.

Most importantly, Western powers try to dominate about 80% of the world, yet only comprise of about 12% of the world population. The rest of the world, comprising 88% of the worlds population, have a limited voice within the UN and IMF.

Another major aspect is the rapid modernization of China, and subsequently India. In only the last 10-20 years, China has grown considerably, both economically, and liberally. India is of course coming up as well.

So generally, Western interests are over represented in the UN, IMF and other major global organizations. Also, we will all need to learn Mandarin soon as Chinese citizens continue to flourish economically. There will soon be 400 million Chinese citizens in the middle class - the population of the entire USA.

The 'western' nations will need to cede its power to the rising Asian nations, and co-operate, accordingly.

Near the end of the book though, it felt more like a giant news article dated for 2007-2008 (time of writing), and the events and politics of that particular time.

I recommend reading this book to become conscious of why the Asian nations will soon transcend western nations in power and economy.

4/5 stars

[Alberto Calabrese]

penso buono per un'introduzione al tema fatto sta che l'ho preso in biblioteca, l'ho tragicamente bagnato e non so cosa fare

[Brit Cheung · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each scholar is prone to derive his perceptions from his personal experience and observations and is nurtured by his backgrounds exclusive to himself. Therefore, it makes sense and altogether justified in this respect for him to construct his peculiar stance. In other worlds, for any scholar, pre-eminent or not, would not be immuned from his “prejudiced” ideas. Nobody could be absolutely impartial over some grand topics, like IR issues, and his views shall be inevitably tinged with “Nationalism”,more or less.

It is a kind of personal observation from the books I ever read and I have no idea if this first impression is plausible but I shall find it out in the future reading.

Suppose what I thought is right, it would not come as a surprise for this book to be tinged with “Indian flavor” due to the author's india-based background. It is quite understanding he hailed the accomplishments of India and other Asian nations.Honestly speaking, the author is maintaining possibly considerable impartiality and objectiveness in his narrative of the book.

The principal views :
1- The western world, the dominant power over the preceding two centuries, didn't manage themselves well enough in adjusting and accommodating themselves to the rise of Asian nations and the possible power transition that could follow. The west is reluctant to accept the power shift and forcefully clings to the privileges they had, which could be an explanation of the the pervading trade protectionism over the years in Europe. And the United States, a nation expousing free trade in the first place, has a tendency of protectionIsm as well, a bad signal for the whole world.
The protectionism is found to protect the privileges of special groups , as aways is the case, but ironically it proceeds ostensibly in the name of protecting the national interests.

2- democracy cannot prevail anywhere and isn't the panecea for all. It won't bring up prosperity if it failed to be integrated with the local conditions. A forcibly launch of democracy in an immature place will give birth to atrocities and turmoils. what is the consequence of “Arab Spring”?
The collapse of USRR is not a victory of western values but a triumph of free marketing and economy.
3-Western world indeed offer great contributions to the world prosperity and there are revelations for the developing world to learn from which could be called seven pillars, namely, free marketing economy, science and technologies, meritocracy, pragmatism, pacifism（peace of culture）, rule of law, and education.
（take Free economy for instance: the subdued sweatshops in the eyes of the west could be great chances in developing countrie where the young rural people can no longer be confined to the crop feilds as they are destined to be . This is the case in China even till today due to its vast rural aeras, the description of which could be found in a book“factories girls” by张彤禾（Leslie Chang）. Many books of this genre could be available actually.）

It's a bit too late for the developing world to have found these savvies but they have released stunning power in Asian nations after absorbing these methods .And the achievements they have made are visible even to the plain eyes.

As the rest of the world are seeking an expanded power in the global stage commensurate to their capacities , the way the west is choosing in coping with the potential conflicts will leave indelible mark on the world we are in. （to be continued）

[Jaime Boswell]

I haven't officially started reading this yet, but I attended the book launch of this book here in Shanghai yesterday and I honestly can say that I believe this book has a solid foundation. I believe that Mahbubani has a solid grasp of the good, the bad and the possible as the world evolves in the 21st century and it seems beyond ignorant to believe that the East won't be in the drivers seat.

I am ashamed by the Western reviews that the book is purely anti-Western sentiment because, of all people, this author is far from anti-us. The reality of this modern power shift is that Darwin was right and Asians have caught on to what works, what doesn't and what needs to happen for progression of our species. We as Westerners NEED to read books like this with an open mind and an open heart - just because what he says isn't what we want to hear doesn't mean that it isn't the reality of the world we live in. The sooner we accept this and WORK WITH IT, the better off we will be in the long run.

With that, I'm going to read the book and get back to yall again soon.

[Savyasachee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kishore Mahbubani is an engaging personality. I've read several columns and articles on various sites, this is the first book I picked up. To be brief, it is an interesting book with the same disclaimer as every other: "Predicting the future is hard, and merits great caution." Mahbubani was, at the time, needlessly optimistic, it seems.

The book focusses on how and why the Asian Tigers, Elephants (and your animal of choice) are set to claim the world as their own. The Asian Century, as this one is going to be called, will dawn and China and India will take their places in the world order. It isn't a message of superiority, Mahbubani assures us. They were there before, and they will reach there again. It's merely a matter of rebalancing.

I quite like this book because it goes against my own biases without really tapping into the core of my knowledge. A similar book by Alyssa Ayres which focussed exclusively on India recived more negative reviews from me because I know where India is weak. My knowledge on the rest of Asia leaves more to be desired, and since I like the author's regular columns, I have decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. At the same time, China's rise is more and more inexorable, so saying that the author got everything wrong is folly.

However, the reader is advised to beware that the author is quite partisan in his leanings. While there isn't much directly acknowledging it, it becomes evident after a while. One ought to remember that as one reads. In addition, Mahbubani is careful to be discreet in his predictions. He doesn't make an overt prediction that can be validated today. The overall trends he talks about are quite evident, true, but the same spirit that animated them when this book was written hasn't exactly survived. The world is more mercantilist, a touch harder, a bit more threatening. The unbridled optimism of the beginning of a new millennium has been replaced by a more wary posture on the part of all participants.

4/5 because it's an entertaining read and still bears relevance to today's world.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kishore Mahbubani certainly presents some compelling arguments in The New Asian Hemisphere. I agree with a lot of his ideas about why Asia is rising to power now, and how the relationship between East and West will have to change.
However, and this is a big deal, this book is full of lazy writing. Mahbubani brings up so many points that he never elaborates on. He devotes ten pages to his proposal, adds a one-sentence disclaimer, and is done with the subject. He hates the term "international community" for its ambiguity, but constantly refers to "western intellectuals" or "Asian thinkers" and never once gives an example of where these ideas are coming from. It's maddening for the reader.
I think these ideas put in the hands of a more capable author (or perhaps even Mr. Mahbubani had he and his editor expanded on the ideas), would create a very compelling book that would be a worthwhile read. As it stands, however, this book is so full of ambiguity and off-topic tangents that it is ultimately ineffective in delivering its message.

[Choong Chiat · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book was an interesting read and although I agree with most of the points presented by the author, I have to say that, compared to the previous two books by the same author, this book was perhaps lacking in new and enlightening insights.



Also, while I concur with the author on Western incompetence in managing global challenges, his case for Asian competence was, however, not as strong.



Do not be mistaken. Asia may well be better at handling global challenges but I just feel that the author's arguments for Asian competence were not very convincing.



On the overall, this was a good book but guess I was expecting more...

[Levie Galapon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Intro

Kishore Mahbubani makes a bleak assessment of Western civilizations while having an optimistic outlook of Asian civilizations. This evident in Mahbubani's thesis and conclusion of his book The New Asian Hemisphere. The title alone is interesting and suggests that Asia is on the rise and it is replacing an old civilization. That old civilization of course is the Western civilization. It should be pointed out that an alternative yet equally fitting title would have been The Old Western Hemisphere. Mahbubani's general thesis is that the West is essentially on an economic decline while East Asian countries are economically growing as well as modernizing.

East Asian Modernization

East Asian modernization is due to desire to replicate the living conditions in the West (K Mahbubani 2008: 5). And because of this sense of relative deprivation there has been a larger adaptation in the East of Western principles for economic growth. Mahbubani mentions different Western principles that the East has adopted. One of them is the adaptation of the principles of free trade. This can be seen with Deng Xiaoping's four modernization programs (K Mahbubani 2008: 52). The liberalization of the Chinese markets has been very beneficial to the people of China. According to Hu Jintao “China's GDP increased from US$147.3 billion to US$1.6494 trillion with an average annual growth rate of 9.4%” (K Mahbubani 2008: 55). A very revealing side effect of free market principles that Mahbubani is that it is able to essentially uplift the human spirit (K Mahbubani 2008: 56). Which brings another interesting part of the Mahbubani reading. Mahbubani expertly points out that antiglobalization movements in China are ridiculous. Because of the introduction of Nike factories in China, the youth, were empowered with the ability to leave rural life in the stead of a more modern life (K Mahbubani 2008: 56).
Another principle that East Asian countries are adopting from the West is the growth in interest in “science and technology” (K Mahbubani 2008: 58). It should be pointed out that the shift towards science and technology is perhaps a part of a development cycle. Mahbubani states that there are two stages to modernization. The first is the “industrialization and urbanization” while the second is the “knowledge-driven and information-driven society” (K Mahbubani 2008: 22). With this information in mind, Asian countries should be categorized in the second stage of modernization. The next principle of Western society that the East is starting to adopt is that of “Meritocracy”. Mahbubani in this section makes an interesting argument. This is with Mahbubani's example of Mao's cultural revolution. Basically, because of Mao's cultural revolution, China, was able to develop a concept of meritocracy. This is because Mao encouraged peasants with a sense of equality and pride (K Mahbubani 2008: 70). However, Mahbubani is right in pointing out that meritocracy is not found everywhere in Asia. The State of Philippines today is still seen as being “crippled by the traditional Asian feudal mindset” (K Mahbubani 2008: 73). Because of this, it could be seen as the Philippines is outside of the modernization cycle because of rampant practice nepotism that does not allow the lower castes to climb the ladder of prosperity.
The next principle to be adopted by the East was simply that of “pragmatism”. This principle of pragmatism applies to the idea of a State modernizing without any “ideological perceptions or blinkers” (K Mahbubani 2008: 74). This was mostly seen because Japan considered the best practices of the West and applied it effectively to its government (K Mahbubani 2008: 74). In my opinion, although this is a principle borrowed from Western practice, I found that it was a no brainer. Because of this, this section on pragmatism felt over stated and could have easily been shortened or even discarded. The next principle the East has adopted was that of the “Culture of Peace”. This states that the East is trying to reach a state of “zero prospect of war”. This zero prospect of war is a concept that essentially states that war is avoidable when there is no reason to go to war. Two states that have already reached this prospect according to Mahbubani is the United States and Canada (K Mahbubani 2008: 21). Reaching this zero prospect of war is beneficial economically. It is beneficial economically because it allows States to focus on improving the lives of its people in the stead of spending resources on defense.
The next principle the East is adopting can be seen as a side effect of modernization. This principle is the adherence to the rule of law. The adherence to the rule of law is a pragmatic one. Mahbubani points this out by stating that because of rapid economic development in China there has been more pressure to change the country's legal system. Mahbubani points out that the “emerging urban elite now see protecting their individual rights as a number one priority” (K Mahbubani 2008: 88). Essentially, this shows that the more a State becomes developed the more it will adopt a code of law that respects the individual as opposed to a code of law that protects society. And the last principle that Asian cultures are starting to adapt is actually another no brainer. It is the principle that education is an important factor to modernization. However, Mahbubani does point out that “making education accessible to the masse is a relatively recent phenomenon (K Mahbubani 2008: 90).

Fall of the West

The more interesting section of this book is the last part where Mahbubani critiques the West for losing its values and the East taking them up. One place where the West is failing is in its foreign policy in relation to the middle-east. Mahbubani suggests the the policy goals of the West has failed all except for securing its oil interests (K Mahbubani 2008: 184). Mahbubani makes the example of the US led invasion of Iraq and how it has failed and also the failed US-Iranian relations. Another place where the West has seemed to failed is that of the “global commons”. Mahbubani suggests that the West should take a greater responsibility when it comes to reducing greenhouse emissions. Mahbubani also makes the argument that developing States should be exempt from reducing greenhouse emissions because they are still developing (K Mahbubani 2008: 189). Another place where the West is failing in ideals is that of non-nuclear proliferation. Mahbubani cites James Caroll “Bush administration announced plans for the first nuclear weapon in more than 20 years, a program of ultimately replacing all American warheads.” (K Mahbubani 2008: 196-197). Which is telling that the US going astray from the ideas of non-nuclear proliferation.
Mahbubani makes an interesting statement that the US should have a rapprochement with Iran. Mahbubani cites the Nixon rapprochement with Mao as a reasoning on why and how this rapprochement would happen with Iran (K Mahbubani 2008: 209). It is an interesting concept that US would today rapprochement with Iran. I do not think it would be in the best interest of the current or future presidents of the US to go to Iran. I would argue so because if the US president was to go to Iran as Nixon did with China it could be seen as US submitting to Iran. And because of this, we would only be empowering Iran by having our president visit them. Not only this but Mahbubani also suggested another reason why cannot rapprochement with Iran. This is due to Bush listing Iran under the “axis of evil” (K Mahbubani 2008: 209). And because of this, rapprochement with Iran could be interpreting that the US is in favor of “evil” regimes. However, I would suggest rapprochement on different terms. I believe that if the US was to invite Ahmadinejad to Washington then I believe rapprochement between US and Iran will be more possible today.
Mahbubani points out that Asian states are essentially better global leaders. Mahbubani does this by showing that China is trying to upkeep political and economic stability. China is doing this by promoting Free Trade Agreements with member ASEAN economies. (K Mahbubani 2008: 231). Mahbubani goes as far as to state that China should “eventually take over the mantle of global leadership from America. It is providing global inspiration already.” (K Mahbubani 2008: 238). Which is a very power statement saying that China will dominate the upcoming years while America is in submission to China. Another powerful statement that Mahbubani makes is that the legitimacy of the United Nations Security Council will “remain legal for a while, but their legitimacy will gradually erode over time (K Mahbubani 2008: 245)

In Conclusion
Kishore Mahbubani's book is revealing about the fall of Western ideals to the rise of Asian adaptation to them. I found it a bit over stated and I don't quite agree but it is still interesting enough to ponder about. Mahbubani also points out how Asia has been rising mostly due to its adaptation of Western ideals and principles. Overall, Mahbubani makes a good case for why the world is becoming a better place and that the Western civilization should not be worried about the rise of the new Asian hemisphere. However, I disagree with Mahbubani's prescription for the future. I believe that the United Nations and the security council in particular will remain strong in the foreseeable future. If any changes were to be made, I would suggest that the admittance of India into the UN Security Council is more possible then the Security Council falling apart as a whole.

[Dr Wang Jenn Chyuan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written 10 years ago, what Kishore said about the geopolitical, cultural and and ethnic interactions continued to be played out today. The daily narrative provides solid evidence that vindicates his perspective.
It is not a courteous book that panders to a West-centric triumphalism in the post-Soviet era. That can make many readers that subscribe to this view uncomfortable.
It provides a realistic account of what is happening in the Indo-Pacific region. The revival of true old worlds of East Asia/South East Asia and India colliding with the new world of the Western hemisphere.
Kishore has clearly mapped out the interacting forces that govern the evolving story of humanity, from an Asian or should I say a Singaporean perspective. I have to emphasize that this is not a work of prophesy but a resource of well-researched material infused with real-life personal experience and interactions in the foreign service.
A must-read for any Asians who wants an independent global perspective.

[Joeri Ryckaseys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een zeer verhelderend boek over de opkomst van Azië op economisch vlak.
Ik sta versteld van de arrogantie van het Westen (de VS + Europa) om nog steeds te denken dat 10% van de wereldbevolking zijn wil kan opleggen aan de andere 90%.

Ik ben ervan overtuigd dat de nummer 1 positie van de VS niet lang meer zal blijven bestaan. Het is een kwestie van tijd voor De Asociation of South Easten Asian Countries + 3 (China, Zuid-Korea en Japan), het grootste economische machtsblok van de wereld zullen vormen. Uiteraard hoort India hier ook bij.

Dit boek helpt duidelijkheid scheppen in hoe de ASEAN erin slaagt projecten en samenwerkingen op te zetten waar de EU continu in faalt, namelijk samenhorigheid en als één team problemen aanpakken.

Het is een ware eye-opener en ik ben benieuwd naar het vervolg dat vorig jaar uitkwam, namelijk "Heeft China al gewonnen?".

[Pierre ELIAS · Rating 4 out of 5]

The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global: 2009 — Kishore Mahbubani — SINGAPORE

Asians just want an appartment and a car like what westerns have. Play with them or …. I am confident and optimistic!

For centuries, the Asians (Chinese, Indians, Muslims, and others) have been bystanders in world history. Now they are ready to become co-drivers./Pendant des siècles, les Asiatiques (Chinois, Indiens, musulmans et autres) ont été des spectateurs de l’histoire du monde. Ils sont désormais prêts à devenir copilotes.

[Georgi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author makes some good points and provides important insights into the Iran issue, but he sounds overly optimistic throughout the book which feels like the quality of his analysis is being diluted.

[Iván · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesantes miradas de Kishore Mahbubani. Se habla no solamente del Asia, también de Occidente y de varios organismos internacionales como la ONU, el Banco Mundial y el FMI.

[Joni]

DNF
Will try to get back on this one.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kishore Mahbubani, a former UN ambassador and Indian from Singapore, educates his western audience about the current rise of the Asian hemisphere - it's background, causes, and likely political and economic implications.

I especially enjoyed the first half of the book where the author details the background of the modernization, why the east is rising now, and talking about why the west isn't celebrating. The second half of the book felt like a long list of things that the west has done wrong recently, and how unfair it is that the west is in charge of all international organizations.

Interesting stats/points:

The Asian hemisphere historically represented the majority of the world's GDP, until the west launched via the industrial revolution, creativity and their XXX core values. In the first century CE, Asia was 76.3 of global GDP. Western Europe was only 10.8 percent. This ratio became even more skewed by 1000 CE, and then rapidly flipped with the industrial revolution and 'offspring' of western europe (US, Canada, Australia).

The author highlights the impact his family's acquisition of a western bathroom made on his psyche when he was a young man. There's a big step in living standards when you step up into a flushing toilet.

Asia represents over 5.6 billion souls (88 percent of the world's population) that are striving for this level of living standards and are beginning to really live the western values.

The author describes the mission of the Japanese Meiji reformers who surveyed the great western civilizations in the 1860, importing the best of breed to a rapidly modernizing Japan. The 7 pillars they identified are the same pillars that the current asian tigers are using to lift their people into the modern age:

1) Free Market Economics,
2) Science and Technology,
3) Meritocracy,
4) Pragmatism,
5) Culture of Peace,
6) Rule of Law,
7) Education

A description of China before and after the start of modernization is especially vibrant in my mind, as I've only seen the current China - which I found to be EXTREMELY entrepreneurial and market based. My. Mahbubani says he visited Beijing in 1980, not long after Deng Xiaoping had launched his "Four Moderniations" program (agriculture, industry, science and technology, and the military). However, when the author left his hotel and approached the taxi stand, the 10 cab drivers argued... over which one would HAVE TO drive him, not which one would GET TO drive him. They explained that they all got paid the same no matter how many fares they took, so why work hard? The same thing happened with a barber shop, where the barber took an extremely long and careful turn on his hair.

This book was very interesting in the beginning as it gave more heft to my feeling that the east is rising quickly for good reason (and no fault of the west) and that it is not a "bubble." Recommended for those who are interested in where the world is headed over the next 50 years.

[Tara van Beurden · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I’ve mentioned before, I am studying a Masters of International Business/International Relations, and I am quite into reading on the topic, partly because I feel it makes me better at my job, and partly because I eventually want to work overseas. Knowing I was going to be doing this degree, I picked up a whole stack of books on international business at the beginning of my semester, but it ended up taking me most of the semester to finish them. This was one of them and it fed nicely into an earlier book I read. Basically, this book looks at the influence Asia is expected to have in the next century in particular, as it rapidly modernize over half the world’s population (I still personally wonder about how this will end up being sustainable but that’s a topic for another day). This is actually a fairly interesting read, on a topic that could actually be quite dry. I learnt a fair bit about the emerging Asian economies, and the impact a substantial middle class has on the likelihood of world peace (quite a strong positive correlation there – who knew?). There are some points that I think might be a bit generous to some of the countries mentioned, but like all things, only time will truly tell us how right our predictions are. Nonetheless, this book gave me a much more positive view on the economic situation we can hopefully look forward to as we settle into the twenty-first century. GFCs be damned!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I copyedited this book. Note that the title is actually The New Asian Hemisphere.) I learned a lot about the moral and economic complexities of globalization from reading this book. I didn't always agree with the author--sometimes I found he was too sanguine about capitalism, among other things--but I certainly respected his experience in international affairs and economics, his insights into the West and its influence on Asia, and his understanding of Asian culture, particularly in countries that have undergone or are undergoing enormous sea changes in politics, economics, etc. (China, for one). He gives a fascinating argument for why the West (and especially the United States) should be glad that Asia (particularly Chin and India) has learned from Western economic development and has begun to alleviate poverty significantly. He criticizes the E.U. in interesting ways as well, and he is not categorizable as wholly pro-West, pro-unfettered capitalism or the opposite. A complex, thoughtful writer. (Also, he seems to be a very nice man--I talked to him on the phone one morning when he called me from the Philippines to ask what I thought of his book!)

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought-provoking study of Asian perspectives

Kishore Mahbubani’s examination of the rise of Asia and its implications for the world is most notable precisely because it is an Asian examination. A professor of public policy at the National University of Singapore, Mahbubani is one of Asia’s most prominent intellectuals. His debunking of ideas that he diagnoses as Western myths and assumptions is trenchant and thought provoking. The book is at times controversial, circular and often repetitive, but always interesting. Mahbubani posits that Western countries attempt to export democracy through a system of international institutions that allow the Western minority to dominate the global majority. For Westerners, such viewpoints may be acutely uncomfortable, but understanding them is indispensable for those who wish to make sense of the emerging world order. This book offers a pertinent, important perspective on changing geopolitics. getAbstract recommends it to anyone seeking an insider’s informed analysis of Asia’s global role.

[Daniel Oon Yong Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this read as Kishore was lkyspp's dean and one of the top 100 influencers globally. As a businessperson with strategic interests along the pacifc coast, & the midwest it was impossible for me as an individual not to adopt a pro-american view. This book was extremely hard to 'swallow' in the first few chapters and I even considered quitting on reading the book. However knowing that Kishore's visions are true for the asia and taking into consideration his time at the UN, I pressed on.

By the time I read the last page I could say I went through a shift.

I remembered when UNSG Ban Ki-Moon shared that when he was applying for the post, the United Nations requested for a Secretary-general that was less general & more secretary. That would be the approach I would recommend to pro-american readers. Take a step back and accept the inevitable. However you must take note that Kishore is what I would section as an 'Extreme'.


This read is essential to all & any who are concerned about the east. And I strongly recommend Kishore's new read

[Ahmad Sharif · Rating 4 out of 5]

أبان عراب الدبلوماسية الآسيوية السنغافوري "كيشور محبوباني" علل العلاقة بين الغرب والشرق الآسيوي بعدما اكتسب الأخير قوته، وأشرق اقتصاده على العالم أسرع من أيّ نموذج آخر فأصبح قِبلة الفعل في جوانب عدّة.
ويرى محبوباني أن الآسيويين نقلوا عن الغرب قيم التحديث والنهضة بمرونة عالية وصرامة، وقد ارتكزت على: اقتصاد السوق الحرة، والعلم والتكنولوجيا، والجدارة والكفاءة الشخصية للفرد، وثقافة السلام، واحترام سيادة القانون، والتعليم، والبرجماتية.
وتُعنَى البرجماتية بالمرونة في اتخاذ الإجراءات لتحقيق أهداف السياسة، التي استوعبها الزعيم الصيني دينج شياو بينج، صاحب مقولة «لا يهم لون القط سواء كان أبيض أو أسوأ مادام يصطاد الفئران» وقد مكنته تلك الفلسفة من تغيير توجه الصين الاقتصادي من اقتصاد مركزي موجه إلى اقتصاد السوق الحر فأحدث ذلك الفارق في حياة الشعب الصيني كما أدرك الجميع.
وقد اِسْتَشرَى هذا التوجه في دول آسيوية عدّة كسنغافورة وكوريا الجنوية والهند.
وأفضى ذلك للصعود الآسيوي المدهش وفق رأي الكاتب؛ وفي المقابل عانت السياسة الغربية بانتكاسات قاسية!
ولأنه بات جليا أن العالم لم يعد أحادي القطب، بل متعدد الأقطاب؛ فعلى الغرب التعامل مع الشرق الآسيوي وفق هذا المقتضى، وإلا سيصعب التنبؤ بما هو آت.

[Raymond Shevsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Splendid if horrifying (for complacent Westerners) read. The economic rise of Asia is truly to be applauded and encouraged, and Mr. Mahbubani makes a convincing and optimistic case. Well-argued, well-written and hard to dispute his examples. I did have two major gripes, however:
1) Mr. Mahbubani's continual eulogizing of China made me wonder if he isn't a fully paid-up agent of the PRC.
2) Important factors in Western decline go unmentioned, e.g. decline of family and religion/traditional values, rise of welfare and nanny state (reduction of independence, industriousness, adventurousness and entrepreneurial spirit), cultural marxism, educational and mass media dumbing-down...etc.

That said, this is a must-read for anyone with even a passing interest in geopolitics.

[Ronaboyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meskipun buku ini tergolong berat, Mahbubani menyajikannya dengan ringan. Data dan uraian yang penuh paradoks dan ironi menimbulkan kelucuan tersendiri. Analisis dalam buku ini ingin membantah tesis Francis Fukuyama tentang akhir sejarah dan secara tidak langsung memperkuat anti tesis Samuel Huntington. Sayangnya, Mahbubani terlalu menonjolkan India dan China dalam memberikan contoh. Selain itu, ada beberapa hal yang perlu didiskusikan ulang mengenai ajakan melepaskan ideologi (seperti China) dan bersifat pragmatis.

[daryl c · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope everyone picks up a copy of this book. Not only is Kishore insightful, his concise delivery and fact-packed text is equivalent to a punch in the head.

A pure diplomat and a word-churner from Lee Kuan Yew's Institute of Public Policy no less, he possesses a keen knowledge of the East/West - Love/Hate.

Even if you think his thinking is askewed, I believe this book is definitely worth the time.

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

The balance of power is shifting Eastward and if international cooperation is to mean anything in the future then the West needs to be more open and practical in its dealings with the Rest. It's a good point and a readable book. But it's also preachy and unoriginal. I remain confused on three points: 1) why it would be on a syllabus 2) why I bothered finishing it since it's so predictable and 3) why I am further bothering to write a mediocre review of it. Who knows??

[Glenn Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author gleans insights from his experience as Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and President of the United Nations Security Council, to analyze the shifting political influence of the West to the East. He specifically addresses geopolitical factors behind this, including the delegitimization of Western power. Outstanding book. One of the most insightful and thorough books I have read about how the world is changing.

[Xian · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not that Kishore Mahbubani is unintelligent, on the contrary he's probably very very sharp. It's just that he isn't as good a writer as he is a diplomat and civil servant. This book (as well as most of his other ones) keep harping on the same theme, over and over again. It's not insubstantial, and at times it is surprisingly informative, but it lacks flair and fails to convince the reader. In short, it's useful, but not really very readable.

[Ahmed Tarek · Rating 5 out of 5]

من اجمل الكتب السياسية كاشفها الى سياسات عالمية و طريقة الامريكية لادارة العالم و سيطرته ع العالم و صعود الصين و الهند و دول شرق اسيا و مصلحة امريكا فوق كل شى متى تفتح حرية التجارة و متى تغلق او تضيق و وظيفة البنك الدولى و صندوق الدولى و سيطرة امريكا عليها كتاب جميل و سريع و لا يخوض كثير فى الامور يطير من موضوع لموضوع كتاب يجعلك ترجع اليه مرات و تتفكر كثيرا

[WR · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, this book did not have many new perspectives for me, but I suppose as a recognised "Asian Thinker", this book serves a useful purpose in focusing Western attention on the rise of New Asia, and the important role that the region will play in the coming century.

[Sanjay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent outlook on changing world.
- Building on western pillar of wisdom to replicate and not dominate
- India : Casts are shaded, giving rise to huge brain power
- Gorbachev took on western political system & China took on western economic system