For the West, the rise of Asia has been frighteningly fast, because as late as 1960, most of Asia was poor, agricultural and rural, with an average income per capita of less than US$1,000 in 2010 prices. But 50 years on, Asia has become more urban and industrialized, and is becoming a challenge to the West in terms of trade, income and innovation.
This is a question that is at the heart of the tensions across the Pacific.
To Parag Khanna, author of The Future Is Asian, the answer is almost self-evident.
However, if you read his book carefully, you will find that he thinks global power will be shared between Asian and Western civilizations.
For the West, the rise of Asia has been frighteningly fast, because as late as 1960, most of Asia was poor, agricultural and rural, with an average income per capita of less than US$1,000 in 2010 prices.
But 50 years on, Asia has become more urban and industrialized, and is becoming a challenge to the West in terms of trade, income and innovation.
McKinsey has just published a study on The Future of Asia that highlights many aspects why Asia is both attractive to businessmen and yet feared as a competitor.
Conventionally, excluding the Middle East and Iran, Asia is divided into Northeast Asia (China, Japan and South Korea), Southeast Asia (mostly ASEAN), South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh) and Central Asia.
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