The End of the Asian Century
War, Stagnation, and the Risks to the World's Most Dynamic Region
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
An urgently needed “risk map” of the many dangers that could derail Asia’s growth and stability
Since Marco Polo, the West has waited for the “Asian Century.” Today, the world believes that Century has arrived. Yet from China’s slumping economy to war clouds over the South China Sea and from environmental devastation to demographic crisis, Asia’s future is increasingly uncertain. Historian and geopolitical expert Michael Auslin argues that far from being a cohesive powerhouse, Asia is a fractured region threatened by stagnation and instability. Here, he provides a comprehensive account of the economic, military, political, and demographic risks that bedevil half of our world, arguing that Asia, working with the United States, has a unique opportunity to avert catastrophe – but only if it acts boldly. Bringing together firsthand observations and decades of research, Auslin’s provocative reassessment of Asia’s future will be a must-read for industry and investors, as well as politicians and scholars, for years to come.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
As shown in this informative, thoughtful, and wide-ranging book, Asia the most culturally diverse region in the world contains over 51% of the global population and produces nearly 40% of the world's "total global output," so it's worth everyone's while to pay attention to the risks it faces. American Enterprise Institute scholar Auslin (Pacific Cosmopolitans: A Cultural History of U.S.-Japan Relations) focuses his risk assessment on five issues: economic stagnation (China's faltering growth, Japan and South Korea's maturing economies, India's untapped potential), demographics (the problems of either too few employable people in Japan and China's aging societies or too many in India and Indonesia), unfinished political progress, the lack of a political community like NATO or the European Union, and the threat of war. He argues that as the militaries in many Asian countries China's most of all have grown dramatically, the U.S. should take the lead in drawing its Asian allies closer together. This, he argues, would help "Asia's leading liberal nations" peacefully engage China and Russia and limit their destabilizing influences. Disappointingly, Auslin skirts the environmental impact of global warming and runaway population growth. His well-researched, insightful work serves as a wake-up call for those ignoring worrying developments in Asia.
