In his book, “The Asian 21st Century,” Kishore Mahbubani, a former diplomat who served as Singapore’s permanent representative to the United Nations, emphasized the arrival of the Asian century and the end of Western domination. In an exclusive interview with Global Times, Mahbubani discussed the impact of the Asian century on the world’s geopolitical landscape and how the US is focusing on the wrong “battlefields” in its contest with China.
Mahbubani pointed out that the Asian century is already being recognized globally, with over 3 million downloads of his book in 160 countries. However, he criticized Western media for avoiding discussions about Asia’s growth and potential. He highlighted Asia’s remarkable economic growth and predicted that the CIA – China, India, and ASEAN – will become the next growth engine of the world economy.
Regarding the US-China contest, Mahbubani explained that the US’s containment measures against China are likely to fail. China’s integration with the world, particularly in trade, has left the US isolated. He urged the US to adopt a wiser approach of integrating China in the global order.
On the China-US relationship, Mahbubani welcomed a balance between cooperation and competition, but he noted the strong anti-China sentiment in the US. He advised President Biden to talk tough on China to protect himself domestically while continuing to cooperate functionally.
Mahbubani emphasized that the main contest between China and the US will be in the economic arena, not military. He criticized the US for focusing on military presence in East Asia, while the real competition will be in economics and trade. Mahbubani urged the US to recognize the importance of trade agreements in the Pacific and the economic dimension of the China-US contest.