The Asian century, or Pacific century, has
become a catchphrase that emphasises economic dynamism and shifts in political
power
But the cultural and intellectual aspects have rather been
neglected.
In the coming 25–50 years, three trends in Asia are likely
to develop in the context of continuous globalisation, evolving regionalism and
the ongoing information revolution.
Asia will develop a greater sense of regional awareness and
cohesion. The region is still compartmentalised into Northeast, Southeast,
South, Central and West Asia. But the region’s current collaborative efforts —
such as the ASEAN-Plus formula, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation — will gradually lead it
towards a greater level of pan-Asian cooperation.
The global configuration of power will become more evenly
distributed between established and emerging powers, and Asia will be a very
important component of the latter. Asia will no longer be complaisant and
content with its position as a less influential actor in the world economy and
as a follower of Western models. Rather, in both their bilateral and
multilateral relations, Asian countries will call for a bigger say in making
rules and setting agendas for regional and global affairs. In this sense, the
growing influence of the G20 and the reform of the International Monetary Fund
and the World Bank indicate Asia’s increasing role in world affairs.
Asia will contribute more to the mainstream of world
thinking. In the coming 25–50 years, Asia’s status will change substantially
from it being merely a recipient — or at most an adaptor — of Western culture.
Asia has already made some great contributions
in this regard. For instance, China, India and Burma worked out the
Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and Southeast Asian nations have built
up the ASEAN Way of consensus-making. With its traditional and intellectual
cultures both experiencing a renaissance, Asia will provide the world with more
public goods in the form of ideas, principles and values.
As well as contributing to the global economy and
international security through these three trends, Asian nations will also
provide the world with alternative models of regionalism. Pragmatism and
inclusiveness will be two major features of the new Asian regionalism. Asia’s
pragmatism has helped its countries converge into an
Asian community, from the ASEAN-Plus process through to a much
broader membership based around building consensus. Unlike regional groupings
such as the European Union, ‘New Asianism’ embraces such non-Asian members as
the United States, Australia and New Zealand. This inclusiveness shows that
Asia respects the history, current standing and future development of its
members. By relying on incrementalism rather than coercion, New Asianism is
also conducive to the peaceful transition of the international system and more
effective global governance.
The Asian century will see Asia present a fusion of cultures
to the world, unlike other regions which are often dominated by a single
culture. Asia is renowned for its cultural and religious diversity and its
ability to accommodate of these many differences. In this fast-changing world
full of immediate concerns and conflicts, the inclusivity of Asian cultures can
play the bridging role between regions and populations in ways that geopolitics
and geo-economics cannot.
The Asian century promises to create new moral standards and
values as a means to tackle future challenges. The universality and
particularity of moral standards and values is a matter of perennial debate,
and while it is difficult for the actors in these debates to convince others to
change their mainstream moralities and values, it may be possible for them to
agree on making new ones. For instance, Asian values attach greater importance
to the non-material aspects of life, such as diligence, work ethics, family
cohesion and consensus-making. These ideas will undoubtedly contribute to the
eventual pooling of shared values, which in turn will help facilitate global
affairs and international relations.
Finally, the Asian century will help the international
community to crystallise a greater sense of wisdom. This will help us to
approach the many global challenges we face from a broader perspective. Many
regional bodies are based on economic, political or security concerns, and
while they are certainly necessary, they are not sufficient in themselves
to bring about the higher level of international and regional community
building needed to confront the challenges likely to occur in the next 25–50
years. Asian nations have much expertise and leadership that can be called upon
in this regard, such as the rich traditional civilisations of China and India
and the economic dynamism of countries such as South Korea and Singapore which
can point the way to adapting to new challenges. And Asia’s exceptional
willingness to contribute to this new century will help it digest the wisdom of
others and assimilate it into its own.
When talking about the Asian century, we should pay proper
attention to long-term trends other than those involving material goods and
physical security. Consensus building, shared values and convergent moralities
will be essential as both Asia and the world strive for a better future.
Jiemian Yang is President at the Shanghai
Institutes for International Studies.
This article appeared in the most recent edition of
the East Asia Forum Quarterly, ‘Coming to terms with Asia’.
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