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Future Is Asian
Asia is where the action is. Five billion people, one-third of the global economy, two-thirds of global economic growth, thirty of the Fortune 100, six of the ten largest banks, eight of the ten largest armies, five nuclear powers, and massive technological innovation. Whether using demography, geography, or economy as a metric, Asia is already the presentand it is certainly the future.
448 pages, Paperback
Published February 5, 2019
About the author
Parag Khanna
23 books343 followersParag Khanna is Founder & Managing Partner of FutureMap, a data and scenario based strategic advisory firm. He is the international bestselling author of six books, has traveled to most of the countries of the world, and holds a PhD from the London School of Economics
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February 21, 2019
As the title suggests, "The Future is Asian" tracks Asia's recent rise to global prominence and makes the case that much of the world's economic, political, and cultural innovations will come from this region. Parag Khanna does an excellent job painting a larger picture of Asia's rise through thousands of smaller anecdotes. The book covers nearly everything from China's infrastructure projects in Africa to K-Pop. However, sometimes his breathless enthusiasm for Asia overlooks some of the nuances in individual countries.
The best part of this book is easily the abbreviated history of Asia going back thousands of years to the present. Khanna tries to retell Asian history with an emphasis on the various economic and cultural connections spanning the breadth of the continent. Even thousands of years ago, there was a surprising amount of interconnectivity on the continent, from Damascus to Beijing. Perhaps more than anything else, this helps make Khanna's argument that we should treat Asia as a connected region rather than a set of individual countries. This history also shows an Asia very comfortable with syncretism and adopting ideas and practices from abroad.
The sheer abundance of infrastructure projects and economic development in most of the region is really impressive. China's economic growth has been much heralded, but now Asia's growth is far broader and enriching India, Indonesia, and even parts of Africa and Latin America. As Khanna notes, this isn't simply a case of Asia catching up with the West. Some Asian countries are becoming leaders in certain scientific fields (the book was written before the birth of the first CRISPR baby in China last year). Asians are also innovating in governance and policy, with a heavy emphasis on mobile and online for banking, government paperwork, etc. As an American, I can't help but be jealous of the investments in high-speed trains and investments in clean energy.
However, Khanna tends to have an excessively optimistic take on Asia's prospects. In his telling, Asian governments are doing nearly everything right, while the United States is incompetent and fumbling. Perhaps most revealing is that he calls Indian Prime Minister Modi and Philippine President Duterte "technocrats", minimizing their attempts to indulge in toxic nationalism. In Indonesia, the rise of Islamic hardliners is never mentioned. Some parts of Asia are still struggling to develop basic infrastructure. Khanna rightly praises Singapore, but Singapore is still probably more the exception than the rule.
The book skims through the various security challenges in the region, particularly the South China Seas. Khanna argues Asians are more likely to accept overlapping sovereignty claims and prioritize economic growth, which should reduce the threat of war. Perhaps time will tell. However, before World War I, many European intellectuals also thought globalization would make war unthinkable. The future probably is Asian, but Asia is also a real place with real potential and real challenges. Asian countries are susceptible to the laws of political and economic gravity, just like those in the West. For a more pessimistic take on Asia, I recommend The End of the Asian Century: War, Stagnation, and the Risks to the World’s Most Dynamic Region.
Khanna is also disturbingly rosy on China. Xi Jinping's efforts to increase his power barely get a mention, much less the severe crackdown on human rights dissidents and religious groups in the country. China's attempts to bully Western companies into labeling Taiwan a part of China are explained away as the West learning to be sensitive to Chinese sensibilities (Khanna several times explicitly calls Taiwan a part of China). Earlier in the book, Khanna claims Asians do not see Islam as adversarial or foreign, yet China's government has detained over a million Muslims precisely because the government views Islam as adversarial and foreign. The book also downplays China's exports of surveillance and censorship technology. To be sure, the West's promotion of human rights was never perfect, but I don't think Khanna has grappled enough with what China's rise will mean to governance and human rights.
Overall, I recommend this book if you haven't paid attention to Asia in years. You'll be surprised by how far the region has come and how much potential it has. Even accounting for the fact that Khanna's enthusiasm sometimes gets the better of his analysis, it seems clear that the world should pay more attention to Asia. However, if you're looking for a nuanced analysis of the prospects of the region, this book will probably leave you unsatisfied.
The best part of this book is easily the abbreviated history of Asia going back thousands of years to the present. Khanna tries to retell Asian history with an emphasis on the various economic and cultural connections spanning the breadth of the continent. Even thousands of years ago, there was a surprising amount of interconnectivity on the continent, from Damascus to Beijing. Perhaps more than anything else, this helps make Khanna's argument that we should treat Asia as a connected region rather than a set of individual countries. This history also shows an Asia very comfortable with syncretism and adopting ideas and practices from abroad.
The sheer abundance of infrastructure projects and economic development in most of the region is really impressive. China's economic growth has been much heralded, but now Asia's growth is far broader and enriching India, Indonesia, and even parts of Africa and Latin America. As Khanna notes, this isn't simply a case of Asia catching up with the West. Some Asian countries are becoming leaders in certain scientific fields (the book was written before the birth of the first CRISPR baby in China last year). Asians are also innovating in governance and policy, with a heavy emphasis on mobile and online for banking, government paperwork, etc. As an American, I can't help but be jealous of the investments in high-speed trains and investments in clean energy.
However, Khanna tends to have an excessively optimistic take on Asia's prospects. In his telling, Asian governments are doing nearly everything right, while the United States is incompetent and fumbling. Perhaps most revealing is that he calls Indian Prime Minister Modi and Philippine President Duterte "technocrats", minimizing their attempts to indulge in toxic nationalism. In Indonesia, the rise of Islamic hardliners is never mentioned. Some parts of Asia are still struggling to develop basic infrastructure. Khanna rightly praises Singapore, but Singapore is still probably more the exception than the rule.
The book skims through the various security challenges in the region, particularly the South China Seas. Khanna argues Asians are more likely to accept overlapping sovereignty claims and prioritize economic growth, which should reduce the threat of war. Perhaps time will tell. However, before World War I, many European intellectuals also thought globalization would make war unthinkable. The future probably is Asian, but Asia is also a real place with real potential and real challenges. Asian countries are susceptible to the laws of political and economic gravity, just like those in the West. For a more pessimistic take on Asia, I recommend The End of the Asian Century: War, Stagnation, and the Risks to the World’s Most Dynamic Region.
Khanna is also disturbingly rosy on China. Xi Jinping's efforts to increase his power barely get a mention, much less the severe crackdown on human rights dissidents and religious groups in the country. China's attempts to bully Western companies into labeling Taiwan a part of China are explained away as the West learning to be sensitive to Chinese sensibilities (Khanna several times explicitly calls Taiwan a part of China). Earlier in the book, Khanna claims Asians do not see Islam as adversarial or foreign, yet China's government has detained over a million Muslims precisely because the government views Islam as adversarial and foreign. The book also downplays China's exports of surveillance and censorship technology. To be sure, the West's promotion of human rights was never perfect, but I don't think Khanna has grappled enough with what China's rise will mean to governance and human rights.
Overall, I recommend this book if you haven't paid attention to Asia in years. You'll be surprised by how far the region has come and how much potential it has. Even accounting for the fact that Khanna's enthusiasm sometimes gets the better of his analysis, it seems clear that the world should pay more attention to Asia. However, if you're looking for a nuanced analysis of the prospects of the region, this book will probably leave you unsatisfied.
May 17, 2019
A dyed-in-the-wool white American male, I moved to China in 2007 for one very simple reason—I desperately needed a job. And because I was relatively old and had spent my career in the out-of-fashion world of smoke stacks and loud machines, no company in the US would touch me.
I have thrived in China, where there is still respect for factories (My factory has a smokestack but exports almost nothing to the US.) and even more respect for old executives like me. They don’t consider us unadaptable or out of touch here; they think of us as richly experienced. But I have learned even more while working here and one of the lessons I’ve learned is just how little the average American knows about China, or Asia in general. And given the current political climate that strikes me as even more true today than it was in 2007.
Parag Khanna is trying to change that. Sadly, however, he won’t succeed, for the simple reason that Westerners don’t really want to know the real Asia in my experience. They have their opinions and they’re stickin’ to ‘em. And the book is just too long and too full of actual facts, which is the only reason I didn’t rate it a six. There has to be balance in life.
The basic premise of the book is that while we’re all fixated on China, there is no China per se. The concept of sovereign land entities with fixed borders that can be drawn on a map is of European origin and was introduced to Asia through colonization. For thousands of years before that Asia had, to use a word I apparently didn’t use enough in my US job interviews, collaborated to a level few Western companies, despite the hype, have actually achieved. Boundaries were fluid and even disputing armies didn’t stand in the way of cultural and economic pragmatism and cooperation.
Speaking at the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations this past week, where Khanna also spoke, China’s President Xi Jinping said, “Being one of the earliest human settlements and a major birthplace of human civilization, Asia takes up one third of the total land on Earth, has two thirds of the global population, and consists of 47 countries and more than 1,000 ethnic groups.” And, he went on, “We should allow all civilizations of the world to fully bloom” and stressed the need to ensure openness, inclusiveness and mutual learning among civilizations, according to China Daily. (Contrast that with anything you’ve heard out of Washington in recent years.)
“The Future is Asian” for the simple reason that it is returning to its pre-colonial roots of tolerance and collectivism. China itself has 56 distinct ethnic groups, the rights of which are explicitly protected in the Chinese constitution. Every major religion in the world exists here and is tolerated, so long as the state perceives that the sovereignty of the Party and social stability is not threatened. (Yes, you can make the case that this is authoritarian but I can assure you that the Chinese government is far less authoritarian in total than the US government today. Barring threats to the state, China is one of the freest countries in the world.)
The point of Khanna’s book is that we live for the first time in a long time in a multi-cultural world, whether we are comfortable with that or not. And the West is struggling to adjust. Really struggling. Asia, however, has been here before and is re-adapting at lightning speed. And this book, more than anything else, is an encyclopedia of how and why.
As squeamish as this book will make any white Westerner feel, I believe that Khanna makes his point with unassailable research and open-minded perspective. The Belt and Road Initiative, which has received some very misinformed media coverage in the West, is but one example of the cross-border and cross-cultural economic investment and cooperation that is unfolding here. Asia is, in fact, far down the path to global economic domination. And it will depend not a twit on how President Trump’s trade war turns out or how illiberal and populist Europe becomes in terms of immigration and multi-culturalism.
If not a splendid book, as it is a bit of a slog to actually read, it is one of the most important books written in years. I do highly recommend it for the simple reason that it will open your eyes to the world we now live in and which most of us can make little sense of.
The research is impeccable and the writing is certainly professional, if not poetic. Asia is rising. But Asia is not China. Khanna notes: “Rather, with more neighbors than any other country, it [China] is deeply embedded in the Asian economic system in mutually dependent and beneficial ways. The future is Asian—even for China.” Japan, too, is part of the equation. As is Australia. Even Iran and Turkey. It’s a process that is accelerating and irreversible.
I’ll close with the reason I know that Khanna is right. I am a white American of French descent. I have round eyes and a big nose. And to the Chinese I am and always will be a foreigner. It matters little that I have lived here a long time or can speak a little Mandarin. A foreigner I will always be.
But the characterization is in no way pejorative. It is simply what I am. I sometimes make them laugh. But I never make them angry or arrogant. And they never assume that I am in any way less human than they are. I am just a foreigner. That fact says nothing about my character or my humanity.
And that, ultimately, is the perspective that will conquer the multi-cultural world. And that is the perspective that is, as Khanna so completely and convincingly explains, the foundation of Asia.
Please read it.
I have thrived in China, where there is still respect for factories (My factory has a smokestack but exports almost nothing to the US.) and even more respect for old executives like me. They don’t consider us unadaptable or out of touch here; they think of us as richly experienced. But I have learned even more while working here and one of the lessons I’ve learned is just how little the average American knows about China, or Asia in general. And given the current political climate that strikes me as even more true today than it was in 2007.
Parag Khanna is trying to change that. Sadly, however, he won’t succeed, for the simple reason that Westerners don’t really want to know the real Asia in my experience. They have their opinions and they’re stickin’ to ‘em. And the book is just too long and too full of actual facts, which is the only reason I didn’t rate it a six. There has to be balance in life.
The basic premise of the book is that while we’re all fixated on China, there is no China per se. The concept of sovereign land entities with fixed borders that can be drawn on a map is of European origin and was introduced to Asia through colonization. For thousands of years before that Asia had, to use a word I apparently didn’t use enough in my US job interviews, collaborated to a level few Western companies, despite the hype, have actually achieved. Boundaries were fluid and even disputing armies didn’t stand in the way of cultural and economic pragmatism and cooperation.
Speaking at the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations this past week, where Khanna also spoke, China’s President Xi Jinping said, “Being one of the earliest human settlements and a major birthplace of human civilization, Asia takes up one third of the total land on Earth, has two thirds of the global population, and consists of 47 countries and more than 1,000 ethnic groups.” And, he went on, “We should allow all civilizations of the world to fully bloom” and stressed the need to ensure openness, inclusiveness and mutual learning among civilizations, according to China Daily. (Contrast that with anything you’ve heard out of Washington in recent years.)
“The Future is Asian” for the simple reason that it is returning to its pre-colonial roots of tolerance and collectivism. China itself has 56 distinct ethnic groups, the rights of which are explicitly protected in the Chinese constitution. Every major religion in the world exists here and is tolerated, so long as the state perceives that the sovereignty of the Party and social stability is not threatened. (Yes, you can make the case that this is authoritarian but I can assure you that the Chinese government is far less authoritarian in total than the US government today. Barring threats to the state, China is one of the freest countries in the world.)
The point of Khanna’s book is that we live for the first time in a long time in a multi-cultural world, whether we are comfortable with that or not. And the West is struggling to adjust. Really struggling. Asia, however, has been here before and is re-adapting at lightning speed. And this book, more than anything else, is an encyclopedia of how and why.
As squeamish as this book will make any white Westerner feel, I believe that Khanna makes his point with unassailable research and open-minded perspective. The Belt and Road Initiative, which has received some very misinformed media coverage in the West, is but one example of the cross-border and cross-cultural economic investment and cooperation that is unfolding here. Asia is, in fact, far down the path to global economic domination. And it will depend not a twit on how President Trump’s trade war turns out or how illiberal and populist Europe becomes in terms of immigration and multi-culturalism.
If not a splendid book, as it is a bit of a slog to actually read, it is one of the most important books written in years. I do highly recommend it for the simple reason that it will open your eyes to the world we now live in and which most of us can make little sense of.
The research is impeccable and the writing is certainly professional, if not poetic. Asia is rising. But Asia is not China. Khanna notes: “Rather, with more neighbors than any other country, it [China] is deeply embedded in the Asian economic system in mutually dependent and beneficial ways. The future is Asian—even for China.” Japan, too, is part of the equation. As is Australia. Even Iran and Turkey. It’s a process that is accelerating and irreversible.
I’ll close with the reason I know that Khanna is right. I am a white American of French descent. I have round eyes and a big nose. And to the Chinese I am and always will be a foreigner. It matters little that I have lived here a long time or can speak a little Mandarin. A foreigner I will always be.
But the characterization is in no way pejorative. It is simply what I am. I sometimes make them laugh. But I never make them angry or arrogant. And they never assume that I am in any way less human than they are. I am just a foreigner. That fact says nothing about my character or my humanity.
And that, ultimately, is the perspective that will conquer the multi-cultural world. And that is the perspective that is, as Khanna so completely and convincingly explains, the foundation of Asia.
Please read it.
March 23, 2019
I picked up this book because I heard an interview with the author on Azeem Azhar's podcast, and in half an hour at 2x speed the author has some thought-provoking ideas into the recent past and near future of the Asian continent, with its many billions. At book length, however, these ideas are revealed as remarkably shallow. The future may very well be Asian, but this book reads like a few dozen issues of The Economist were jammed into a sausage grinder and slapped between two covers. Read Bruno Maçães's The Dawn of Eurasia for deeper insights, and vastly better writing, on the same topic.
October 24, 2020
I’m not a fan of the title of this book, though I admit it is intriguing and thought-provoking. I myself don’t believe that the future will be just one thing: Asian, African or female. I believe it will be a combination of various power structures in various parts of the world, shifting balance and developing in various directions. I understand, however, what message Parag Khanna in “The Future is Asian” wanted to convey. The short spell of the US sociopolitical and economic dominance came to a definite end and certain Asian countries are regaining influence, albeit on different terms than in the times before European expansion and colonialism, which took place after the Middle Ages and led to the accumulation of wealth by European powers.
Khanna’s book is a superb exposé of arguments for Asian growing current and future influence on the rest of the world. The chapter on history of the world from an Asian perspective, is a brilliant and unsettling reminder of how warped the history curriculum is in European and North American schools and Westerners’ mindsets. Over and over again Khanna reminds his readers that Asia does not equal China, that other countries, with various agendas, of different historical experience, cultures and level of development, also play their parts on the global stage. Reducing all Asian influence to feeling threatened by the Chinese authoritarian regime is an oversimplification of the state of affairs.
A few issues impressed me particularly about this book. First of all, Khanna does not gloss over Asian ways of doing business and spreading influence on the rest of the world. He often admits that most Asian countries are still dictatorships even if some have succeeded in convincing their citizens to think they are free. He expressed his concern over the violations of human rights from Russia to China, from Iran to Japan, from Turkey to Thailand but rightly points out that in various Asian societies social harmony is often prioritised over equality. He talks about religious persecution of minorities, LGBTQ-unfriendliness and extreme misogyny in most Asian societies, corruption, poor literacy, poverty and terrible impact of industrialisation on the environment in Asia. In Asia one can find countries with the best and worst literacy rate, with the highest and lowest GDP - the continent is as diverse as it gets.
The whole chapter is devoted to the way Asian countries trade with the African ones and its implications, including the social consequences for the whole world. Khanna also writes about the relationships of Asians with Americans and Europeans and I applaud him for not treating the West as a monolith - a sin committed by many non-European authors. Prejudice against Asians and racism in the US is of a different nature than what we see in various European and African countries and Khanna dissects social attitudes pretty well.
Another issue I especially value is Khanna’s writing from the perspective of an Asian. There are too many books on the market, mainly written by Americans, about Asian growing dominance in the world seen through an American lens, prioritising implications for the US and making it sound as if what Americans worry about is universal. It absolutely isn’t and Khanna emphasises it many times. The US does not matter much anymore when it comes to the trade among Asian countries, between Asian and European countries or Asian and African ones and it is backed by numerous examples and statistical data which Khanna uses genereously. Moreover, the author does a really good job challenging non-Asian readers by explaining what the outlook of many Asians is and how they see e.g. human rights violations, expansion of China or how much they respect and try to emulate the Singaporean way of governing and providing for citizens. American values - even for many Asian students and workers in that country (though there are exceptions) - are by no means values worth following and this is highlighted by Khanna well, again with numerous examples and data.
I find “The Future is Asian” a fantastic, comprehensive description of the current global situation and relationships between countries. Khanna often refrains from presenting his own opinion, giving the voice to others. Moreover, he does not predict what the future will hold - the book was published in 2019, before the pandemic started wreaking havoc all over the world and which is likely to change global dynamics; so far the pandemic exposed all weaknesses of Western governments, revealed how underdeveloped, at all levels, the US is. It is crippling already poor Asian countries, while at the same time showing the strengths of the well-governed wealthier Asian states such as Singapore and Taiwan. I definitely recommend reading this book to everyone who feels their school education lacked global balance and who wishes to get a better, more worldwide, as opposed to local, perspective on things.
Khanna’s book is a superb exposé of arguments for Asian growing current and future influence on the rest of the world. The chapter on history of the world from an Asian perspective, is a brilliant and unsettling reminder of how warped the history curriculum is in European and North American schools and Westerners’ mindsets. Over and over again Khanna reminds his readers that Asia does not equal China, that other countries, with various agendas, of different historical experience, cultures and level of development, also play their parts on the global stage. Reducing all Asian influence to feeling threatened by the Chinese authoritarian regime is an oversimplification of the state of affairs.
A few issues impressed me particularly about this book. First of all, Khanna does not gloss over Asian ways of doing business and spreading influence on the rest of the world. He often admits that most Asian countries are still dictatorships even if some have succeeded in convincing their citizens to think they are free. He expressed his concern over the violations of human rights from Russia to China, from Iran to Japan, from Turkey to Thailand but rightly points out that in various Asian societies social harmony is often prioritised over equality. He talks about religious persecution of minorities, LGBTQ-unfriendliness and extreme misogyny in most Asian societies, corruption, poor literacy, poverty and terrible impact of industrialisation on the environment in Asia. In Asia one can find countries with the best and worst literacy rate, with the highest and lowest GDP - the continent is as diverse as it gets.
The whole chapter is devoted to the way Asian countries trade with the African ones and its implications, including the social consequences for the whole world. Khanna also writes about the relationships of Asians with Americans and Europeans and I applaud him for not treating the West as a monolith - a sin committed by many non-European authors. Prejudice against Asians and racism in the US is of a different nature than what we see in various European and African countries and Khanna dissects social attitudes pretty well.
Another issue I especially value is Khanna’s writing from the perspective of an Asian. There are too many books on the market, mainly written by Americans, about Asian growing dominance in the world seen through an American lens, prioritising implications for the US and making it sound as if what Americans worry about is universal. It absolutely isn’t and Khanna emphasises it many times. The US does not matter much anymore when it comes to the trade among Asian countries, between Asian and European countries or Asian and African ones and it is backed by numerous examples and statistical data which Khanna uses genereously. Moreover, the author does a really good job challenging non-Asian readers by explaining what the outlook of many Asians is and how they see e.g. human rights violations, expansion of China or how much they respect and try to emulate the Singaporean way of governing and providing for citizens. American values - even for many Asian students and workers in that country (though there are exceptions) - are by no means values worth following and this is highlighted by Khanna well, again with numerous examples and data.
I find “The Future is Asian” a fantastic, comprehensive description of the current global situation and relationships between countries. Khanna often refrains from presenting his own opinion, giving the voice to others. Moreover, he does not predict what the future will hold - the book was published in 2019, before the pandemic started wreaking havoc all over the world and which is likely to change global dynamics; so far the pandemic exposed all weaknesses of Western governments, revealed how underdeveloped, at all levels, the US is. It is crippling already poor Asian countries, while at the same time showing the strengths of the well-governed wealthier Asian states such as Singapore and Taiwan. I definitely recommend reading this book to everyone who feels their school education lacked global balance and who wishes to get a better, more worldwide, as opposed to local, perspective on things.
September 9, 2019
The Future is Asian by Parag Khanna is an interesting book on the rise of Asia and Asian systems - technocracy, illiberalism, meritocracy, economic dynamism and free trade. Khanna looks at Asia through a grand sweep of history and modern politics and economic pragmatism. That in itself is the crux of the book - a focus on pragmatic development and a breathless hope for the future. It is refreshing to read a book with this tone, as much in political theory these days is constantly negative. Khanna shows that the age of Western exceptionalism is coming to a close, and looks forward to it.
Although this book has a pragmatic and upbeat tone, it is not naive. The book looks at negatives in the Asian system, including corruption, political repression, ethnic cleansing and violence, and the like. However, Khanna takes the narrative away from the West, only discussing Europe and the Americas from an Asian perspective. Its focus is firmly centered in Singapore, and discusses mostly the larger states and institutions in Asia, like China, Japan, India and ASEAN. Starting with a grand and brief sweep of Asian history from the development of civilizations along the Indus and Yellow Rivers, through Chinese dynasties, Indian Kingdoms, Arabian Empires, through to the colonization of the region, and up to modern decolonization and the growing influence Asia plays in global affairs. Khanna's main thesis here, and through much of the book, is the multi-polarity of Asia's growth and influence. China is one of the main focuses, of course, due to its huge economic impact on the globe, as well as its growing political clout in the region and globally. However, Khanna is more of a supporter here. China's influence globally is much more focused on economic integration, free trade, and securing commodities as opposed to the reliance system often utilized by the US. It often shies away from influencing domestic political issues and focuses on investment. Economic ties with Taiwan, Japan and India, for example, are strong and deep, regardless of the territorial disputes and political issues that effect bilateral relations. China is also not the only Asian nation influencing global affairs. As debt issues from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) force China to scale down vanity infrastructure projects to focus on more critical projects - announced by Xi Jinping at the Belt and Road Forum in 2017, other states have begun to step in to fill funding vacuums. South Korea, Japan, India and Russia have all made their own inroads into regions. China's initial ventures have just opened the door and brought some market confidence to show trade ties are lucrative and reliable. Competition for resources, and commodities as imports, and services, construction, and goods as exports, is increasing. But this competition brings much needed services and technologies to nations across the globe, and reduces over-reliance on Western systems.
Khanna also has an interesting case study refuting representative democracy as the end all system, showing that Asian systems of technocratic, top-down management and meritocratic staffing models are trumping Western systems of political reliance of electoral cycles and distrust of bureaucratic agencies. At the same time, Asia has somewhat ironically embraced capitalism and globalism, while promoting self reliance and stability at home. This paradox is interesting - leading to statistics stating that India and China have much higher levels of public trust in government than more sophisticated and democratic regimes in the USA and Europe. Khanna's case study focuses on Singapore - a much touted nation with massive inroads in technological innovation, policy implementation and political experimentation, whilst also being a relatively illiberal democracy that has yet to see an alternative political party elected. Singapore mixes efficient administration, high tech innovations, socialist housing and taxation policies and capitalist adventurism with repressive electoral laws, curbed press freedom, harsh punishments for crime, and restrictive immigration policy. Whether we like it or not, this style of government is becoming the norm, and has worked quite well for Singapore. Other Asian states are following suite. China of course, but India's Modi is an admirer. The Gulf petro-states follow suite, as do regimes in Rwanda, Hungary and Poland. Even Western democracies are beginning to take on some of these aspects, as immigration is curbed, politics becomes more illiberal, and Western democracies look elsewhere for innovative ideas. Even so, Khanna notes that Asia is a region with diverse political traditions and practices - the political system itself may be less important than economic, social and political stability.
All in all, a fascinating book. The case study on technocracy is an interesting element. The analysis on Asia's current trajectory is accurate as of 2018/2019. There is nothing too new in here, save for some interesting analysis. Other than that, this is an excellent and timely blow by blow of Asian integration with the global system, as well as Asia's growing influence on global affairs. It is not China focused, but Asia focused. Some downsides include an overly rosy picture of Singapore (Khanna lives and works there), and a broad overview that does not always contribute to a clear thesis. Regardless, interesting, well sourced, topical and offering a fresh and interesting perspective to check ones Western bias. Very good.
Although this book has a pragmatic and upbeat tone, it is not naive. The book looks at negatives in the Asian system, including corruption, political repression, ethnic cleansing and violence, and the like. However, Khanna takes the narrative away from the West, only discussing Europe and the Americas from an Asian perspective. Its focus is firmly centered in Singapore, and discusses mostly the larger states and institutions in Asia, like China, Japan, India and ASEAN. Starting with a grand and brief sweep of Asian history from the development of civilizations along the Indus and Yellow Rivers, through Chinese dynasties, Indian Kingdoms, Arabian Empires, through to the colonization of the region, and up to modern decolonization and the growing influence Asia plays in global affairs. Khanna's main thesis here, and through much of the book, is the multi-polarity of Asia's growth and influence. China is one of the main focuses, of course, due to its huge economic impact on the globe, as well as its growing political clout in the region and globally. However, Khanna is more of a supporter here. China's influence globally is much more focused on economic integration, free trade, and securing commodities as opposed to the reliance system often utilized by the US. It often shies away from influencing domestic political issues and focuses on investment. Economic ties with Taiwan, Japan and India, for example, are strong and deep, regardless of the territorial disputes and political issues that effect bilateral relations. China is also not the only Asian nation influencing global affairs. As debt issues from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) force China to scale down vanity infrastructure projects to focus on more critical projects - announced by Xi Jinping at the Belt and Road Forum in 2017, other states have begun to step in to fill funding vacuums. South Korea, Japan, India and Russia have all made their own inroads into regions. China's initial ventures have just opened the door and brought some market confidence to show trade ties are lucrative and reliable. Competition for resources, and commodities as imports, and services, construction, and goods as exports, is increasing. But this competition brings much needed services and technologies to nations across the globe, and reduces over-reliance on Western systems.
Khanna also has an interesting case study refuting representative democracy as the end all system, showing that Asian systems of technocratic, top-down management and meritocratic staffing models are trumping Western systems of political reliance of electoral cycles and distrust of bureaucratic agencies. At the same time, Asia has somewhat ironically embraced capitalism and globalism, while promoting self reliance and stability at home. This paradox is interesting - leading to statistics stating that India and China have much higher levels of public trust in government than more sophisticated and democratic regimes in the USA and Europe. Khanna's case study focuses on Singapore - a much touted nation with massive inroads in technological innovation, policy implementation and political experimentation, whilst also being a relatively illiberal democracy that has yet to see an alternative political party elected. Singapore mixes efficient administration, high tech innovations, socialist housing and taxation policies and capitalist adventurism with repressive electoral laws, curbed press freedom, harsh punishments for crime, and restrictive immigration policy. Whether we like it or not, this style of government is becoming the norm, and has worked quite well for Singapore. Other Asian states are following suite. China of course, but India's Modi is an admirer. The Gulf petro-states follow suite, as do regimes in Rwanda, Hungary and Poland. Even Western democracies are beginning to take on some of these aspects, as immigration is curbed, politics becomes more illiberal, and Western democracies look elsewhere for innovative ideas. Even so, Khanna notes that Asia is a region with diverse political traditions and practices - the political system itself may be less important than economic, social and political stability.
All in all, a fascinating book. The case study on technocracy is an interesting element. The analysis on Asia's current trajectory is accurate as of 2018/2019. There is nothing too new in here, save for some interesting analysis. Other than that, this is an excellent and timely blow by blow of Asian integration with the global system, as well as Asia's growing influence on global affairs. It is not China focused, but Asia focused. Some downsides include an overly rosy picture of Singapore (Khanna lives and works there), and a broad overview that does not always contribute to a clear thesis. Regardless, interesting, well sourced, topical and offering a fresh and interesting perspective to check ones Western bias. Very good.
November 8, 2023
I am old enough to remember when the Asians best known to the average American were Yul Brynner and David Carradine. I therefore do not find it difficult to agree with Parag Khanna that Asian penetration of Western culture has been rapidly increasing and is likely to continue to do so. Dr. Khanna has stocked this book with a multitude of statistics and anecdotes showing that, despite punching below its weight for the past few centuries, Asia is now assuming a position more consistent with its status as home to the majority of the planet's population. Just as Europeans thrust their cultures around the globe during the 19th and 20th centuries, Dr. Khanna sees a similar expansion and diffusion of Asian culture during the current century, and a commensurate need to consider Asian perspectives and attitudes on the matters of concern to the world.
One of the more intriguing matters that the author discusses is differing attitudes toward governance in general, and democracy in particular. While no sensible observer of Donald Trump's America would suggest that the US has perfected democracy, most of the Western World still pays lip service to the benefits of a democratic form of government and even Vladimir Putin feels it necessary to construct a Potemkin village of superficial democracy for his Russian subjects. Dr. Khanna has lost his patience with partisan feuding that accomplishes nothing. He points to Asian technocracies, particularly that of Singapore, his current country of residence, as an alternative that focuses on actually improving the lives of the population, rather than debating the ideological dogmas preferred by one's constituents and financial supporters.
Although Dr. Khanna wrote this book in 2018 and had no way of knowing of the COVID pandemic, his preference for technocrats over politicians could not have been better demonstrated than at the 2020 White House press conferences, in which viewers could easily contrast the sober pronouncements of Drs. Birx and Fauci with the self-congratulatory nonsense of the President Trump. I am not personally ready to scrap Jeffersonian democracy for Lee Kuan Yew technocracy, however recent elections have made me skeptical of the concept of vox populi, vox Dei.
Several years ago Asian-American political scientist, Francis Fukuyama, described the process of government maximizing its benefits to its citizens as Getting to Denmark. Dr. Khanna might suggest the re-titling of this concept as Getting to Singapore
One of the more intriguing matters that the author discusses is differing attitudes toward governance in general, and democracy in particular. While no sensible observer of Donald Trump's America would suggest that the US has perfected democracy, most of the Western World still pays lip service to the benefits of a democratic form of government and even Vladimir Putin feels it necessary to construct a Potemkin village of superficial democracy for his Russian subjects. Dr. Khanna has lost his patience with partisan feuding that accomplishes nothing. He points to Asian technocracies, particularly that of Singapore, his current country of residence, as an alternative that focuses on actually improving the lives of the population, rather than debating the ideological dogmas preferred by one's constituents and financial supporters.
Although Dr. Khanna wrote this book in 2018 and had no way of knowing of the COVID pandemic, his preference for technocrats over politicians could not have been better demonstrated than at the 2020 White House press conferences, in which viewers could easily contrast the sober pronouncements of Drs. Birx and Fauci with the self-congratulatory nonsense of the President Trump. I am not personally ready to scrap Jeffersonian democracy for Lee Kuan Yew technocracy, however recent elections have made me skeptical of the concept of vox populi, vox Dei.
Several years ago Asian-American political scientist, Francis Fukuyama, described the process of government maximizing its benefits to its citizens as Getting to Denmark. Dr. Khanna might suggest the re-titling of this concept as Getting to Singapore
March 13, 2019
Reads at times like a marketing brochure. it’s never going to be a classic but it’s extremely useful to get up to speed in 2019.
March 11, 2019
I wanted to like this book and I think the author's general hypothesis is accurate, Asia is the future, however the author is either incredibly naive about China's role in Asia or just a "panda hugger". The idea that China's Belt & Road initiative or their neo-colonialism in Africa is done benevolently and not with the intent of gaining resources & power is laughable. The naivete of the author is seen in almost every aspect, to generally ignoring the many bubbling conflicts in the region to the issues of corruption in many governments to Xi's total takeover of China's government.
Yes, there is a lot of reasons to be optimistic about Asia' future, but being such a huge land mass, spanning countries with varying degrees of democracy and varying degrees of economic success, lumping all the countries together distorts the message. It's a good read for the way it sums up so much of Asia's history in only a few pages, but there are so many obvious issues with how the main idea is presented.
Yes, there is a lot of reasons to be optimistic about Asia' future, but being such a huge land mass, spanning countries with varying degrees of democracy and varying degrees of economic success, lumping all the countries together distorts the message. It's a good read for the way it sums up so much of Asia's history in only a few pages, but there are so many obvious issues with how the main idea is presented.
October 16, 2019
Summary: This book did not do it for me. However, it's great if you want an overview and are new trying to understand Asia. It is not good for those that are looking for hard conclusions or know a lot about Asia or specific regions of Asia.
Where to even begin! This book feels a bit like a dump of information and snippets. That is so relevant if you are new to Asia. But it lacks depth if you are farther along in your research or thoughts. Legitimately, he does address all of Asia. It's top level, but to his credit, it's a very large land mass. One of the arguments he makes in the intro has to do with the China factor. He's a bit better than some, but a bit weak if the argument has more depth, throughout the book.
The Chapter on History... It's such a run through without a real appreciation for what the countries then "think." I think it misses an opportunity here. That said, he's trying to write about Asia as a block, even though he doesn't think it should be a block with a single view.
P. 122 "The poorest ASEAN members, such as Laos & Cambodia, have already exchanged their strategic autonomy for Chinese cash."
I think this is a bit minimalizing. Certainly, both countries have a lot of Chinese business going on, but it's unclear that they are only selling themselves to the Chinese. I would almost look at it more like Africa. If countries want to give the country money, then these single leader governments do what makes the most sense to them. For example, it's the Vietnamese, not the Chinese that get the bulk of revenue from Siem Reap. In Laos, many Chinese have tried and failed to create businesses like hotels and other sorts of development projects because of how the country is run and would like to set its future. So I'm a little surprised that this comment is made, given what I saw when I visited each within the last two years.
P. 123 Another pair of significant countries - Malaysia and the Phillipines -- have historically been strong US allies but more recently have tilted toward China.
The Phillipines, I get, but I think it's a tougher argument for Malaysia. That country has had a very specific set of wealthy people many of which were Chinese. While Chinese was communist, yeah, kind of wasn't making sense to do things. But that has more to do with the lack of productivity in the pre-Deng period, IMO, then these countries were biased toward the US. Then you've got the Crisis and all the IMF non-sense of the late 90's, so yeah, they had to do what they had to do. But Malaysia has a very large, very wealthy Chinese population. AND, it's a muslim country. USA's stance and their personal biases are a bit more aggressive against Malaysia vs. China. Plus, Malaysia's a bit of its own animal b/c of that oil.
P. 175... The first paragraph talks about UBER vs. the collaboration in Asia among companies. It's interesting. I like it. The part I think is missed is this idea that the corporation is still an extension of the state in Asia, albiet indirect. In fact, the corporation in the 1600s was a direct extension of the state when it was first created in Europe. I think this is missed a bit. These guys still compete against each other like crazy. But if you think of it from a state perspective, it's easier to see why they act the way they do.
P. 182.... I like that he highlights the rise of ecological decision making. I'm not 100% with him when he says "Recent surveys suggest that all across Asia there is a strong willingness to pay more for sustainably sourced products." First, Asia still has a very large population that couldn't possibly have been surveyed. Second, let's say we're talking about major decision makers. I still think they are building for the long term strategic reasons. It is cheaper for your nation as a whole and the benefit to GDP to install a cheaper energy source than a more expensive one. It is cheaper for your nation as a whole to use biodegradible plastic vs. the kind that does not degrade. This is because these countries are structured a lot differently than Western culture. Hence, many more aspects of the full economic cost is born by the state directly and visibly.
P. 181 - He gives stats on aridable land. I actually had to look this up because it differed from what I know about the stats. The US is closer to 16%, but that is a restated stat and does not include all agricultural land use or land that is permanently fallow (closer to 44%). It's fascinating b/c the US has decreased on both stats and China has actually stayed flat or increased on both statistics. When i was studying China, I often heard stats closer to 30%, the adjusted stats suggest the numbers in the 90s were 20%. I think that's because the numbers talking heads would quote in the 90s included land you could easy transform into crop producing (permanently fallow land) and also land that was in use for permanent crops (arable land is temporary crops only). Still, China has a lot more population to feed and arable land understates the truth that a lot of the unarable land is still used in things like cattle production. That number of china is more or less it.
his question of arable land gets skimmed over IMO. This is actually a major driving factor of the Belt and Road and foreign policy initiatives of the nation. Anyway, it's unfortunate this is just a line item. It's way more important than this author lets on in understanding Asia, IMO.
P. 183 - Second mover advantage is a real thing. They all have higher tech in Asia b/c they don't have to deal with legacy systems and transformation of that nature (you don't have to first get everyone to understand how to use a rotary phone before a smart phone.)
P. 200, He quotes Google CEO as saying that China might surpass the US in AI by 2025. Is that a stale quote? I mean... they already have.....!!
p. 202 the stuff on Dubai and Singapore being top spots for elective surgery. It's true nearly all health care is better than the US (cost & Quality, not cost for quality). I see a lot more elective surgeries in Thailand in the last 3 years than Singapore... can't speak to Dubai. Also, Vietnam is getting a lot of love particularly for Dental. But quality and cost reasons. Definitely China has better emergency and regular/routine care than the US. I can't speak to Europe.
P. 218, the comment that Asia gets 2x as many green cards as any other region actually doesn't make sense mathematically. Asia is more than 1/2 the world's population, so it should get more green cards. Depending on how he's thinking about regions, LatAm, Europe, Africa, I think the should still work out to where Asia is getting 50% less green cards... I'm not sure if he's playing with stats here...
P. 256 The commentary on labor shortage is good. It's underdeveloped though. I mean, this one chapter is like a drive by of a bunch of issues that are related but not drawn together quite tightly enough.
p. 302 "Chinese people don't love their government, but they trust it." I mean... a little weird and a bit of an overstatement. I guess it depends on how you think about trust. When I was little I trusted that my brother would likely get even if I punched him in the face for no reason, so there's that....I definitely love my brother though.
p. 314... how odd to use Weibo and Wechat as models of people feeling they can speak their mind freely.... hmmm... try it... see how it goes....
P. 315, the idea that modernization bread women's rise is a bit of an oversimplification IMO. The 1 child policy moved birthrates from Mao's time avg 6 to 1. That likely had more to do with bringing women from then to now. The new policy is a problem IMO if you're a woman b/c there are also conflicting vibes on what it means to marry and who might be good enough. I think every country that wants women to marry and bear children faster shoudl likely put more pressure on men and not women if they want to get the job done, IMO. I mean, it's not a 1 sided decision people....!
P.335 the undocumented worker thing in Thailand and the subsequent repeal due to the impact to construction and other services. Very relevant, but again, would have loved more and an actual conclusion or point at the end of it.
Again, this is excellent if you don't know anything about Asia. I'd have dinner with this guy any day of the week. Knowledgeable and smart. But limited for me personally in the way of Conclusions and real stances on what to do.
Where to even begin! This book feels a bit like a dump of information and snippets. That is so relevant if you are new to Asia. But it lacks depth if you are farther along in your research or thoughts. Legitimately, he does address all of Asia. It's top level, but to his credit, it's a very large land mass. One of the arguments he makes in the intro has to do with the China factor. He's a bit better than some, but a bit weak if the argument has more depth, throughout the book.
The Chapter on History... It's such a run through without a real appreciation for what the countries then "think." I think it misses an opportunity here. That said, he's trying to write about Asia as a block, even though he doesn't think it should be a block with a single view.
P. 122 "The poorest ASEAN members, such as Laos & Cambodia, have already exchanged their strategic autonomy for Chinese cash."
I think this is a bit minimalizing. Certainly, both countries have a lot of Chinese business going on, but it's unclear that they are only selling themselves to the Chinese. I would almost look at it more like Africa. If countries want to give the country money, then these single leader governments do what makes the most sense to them. For example, it's the Vietnamese, not the Chinese that get the bulk of revenue from Siem Reap. In Laos, many Chinese have tried and failed to create businesses like hotels and other sorts of development projects because of how the country is run and would like to set its future. So I'm a little surprised that this comment is made, given what I saw when I visited each within the last two years.
P. 123 Another pair of significant countries - Malaysia and the Phillipines -- have historically been strong US allies but more recently have tilted toward China.
The Phillipines, I get, but I think it's a tougher argument for Malaysia. That country has had a very specific set of wealthy people many of which were Chinese. While Chinese was communist, yeah, kind of wasn't making sense to do things. But that has more to do with the lack of productivity in the pre-Deng period, IMO, then these countries were biased toward the US. Then you've got the Crisis and all the IMF non-sense of the late 90's, so yeah, they had to do what they had to do. But Malaysia has a very large, very wealthy Chinese population. AND, it's a muslim country. USA's stance and their personal biases are a bit more aggressive against Malaysia vs. China. Plus, Malaysia's a bit of its own animal b/c of that oil.
P. 175... The first paragraph talks about UBER vs. the collaboration in Asia among companies. It's interesting. I like it. The part I think is missed is this idea that the corporation is still an extension of the state in Asia, albiet indirect. In fact, the corporation in the 1600s was a direct extension of the state when it was first created in Europe. I think this is missed a bit. These guys still compete against each other like crazy. But if you think of it from a state perspective, it's easier to see why they act the way they do.
P. 182.... I like that he highlights the rise of ecological decision making. I'm not 100% with him when he says "Recent surveys suggest that all across Asia there is a strong willingness to pay more for sustainably sourced products." First, Asia still has a very large population that couldn't possibly have been surveyed. Second, let's say we're talking about major decision makers. I still think they are building for the long term strategic reasons. It is cheaper for your nation as a whole and the benefit to GDP to install a cheaper energy source than a more expensive one. It is cheaper for your nation as a whole to use biodegradible plastic vs. the kind that does not degrade. This is because these countries are structured a lot differently than Western culture. Hence, many more aspects of the full economic cost is born by the state directly and visibly.
P. 181 - He gives stats on aridable land. I actually had to look this up because it differed from what I know about the stats. The US is closer to 16%, but that is a restated stat and does not include all agricultural land use or land that is permanently fallow (closer to 44%). It's fascinating b/c the US has decreased on both stats and China has actually stayed flat or increased on both statistics. When i was studying China, I often heard stats closer to 30%, the adjusted stats suggest the numbers in the 90s were 20%. I think that's because the numbers talking heads would quote in the 90s included land you could easy transform into crop producing (permanently fallow land) and also land that was in use for permanent crops (arable land is temporary crops only). Still, China has a lot more population to feed and arable land understates the truth that a lot of the unarable land is still used in things like cattle production. That number of china is more or less it.
his question of arable land gets skimmed over IMO. This is actually a major driving factor of the Belt and Road and foreign policy initiatives of the nation. Anyway, it's unfortunate this is just a line item. It's way more important than this author lets on in understanding Asia, IMO.
P. 183 - Second mover advantage is a real thing. They all have higher tech in Asia b/c they don't have to deal with legacy systems and transformation of that nature (you don't have to first get everyone to understand how to use a rotary phone before a smart phone.)
P. 200, He quotes Google CEO as saying that China might surpass the US in AI by 2025. Is that a stale quote? I mean... they already have.....!!
p. 202 the stuff on Dubai and Singapore being top spots for elective surgery. It's true nearly all health care is better than the US (cost & Quality, not cost for quality). I see a lot more elective surgeries in Thailand in the last 3 years than Singapore... can't speak to Dubai. Also, Vietnam is getting a lot of love particularly for Dental. But quality and cost reasons. Definitely China has better emergency and regular/routine care than the US. I can't speak to Europe.
P. 218, the comment that Asia gets 2x as many green cards as any other region actually doesn't make sense mathematically. Asia is more than 1/2 the world's population, so it should get more green cards. Depending on how he's thinking about regions, LatAm, Europe, Africa, I think the should still work out to where Asia is getting 50% less green cards... I'm not sure if he's playing with stats here...
P. 256 The commentary on labor shortage is good. It's underdeveloped though. I mean, this one chapter is like a drive by of a bunch of issues that are related but not drawn together quite tightly enough.
p. 302 "Chinese people don't love their government, but they trust it." I mean... a little weird and a bit of an overstatement. I guess it depends on how you think about trust. When I was little I trusted that my brother would likely get even if I punched him in the face for no reason, so there's that....I definitely love my brother though.
p. 314... how odd to use Weibo and Wechat as models of people feeling they can speak their mind freely.... hmmm... try it... see how it goes....
P. 315, the idea that modernization bread women's rise is a bit of an oversimplification IMO. The 1 child policy moved birthrates from Mao's time avg 6 to 1. That likely had more to do with bringing women from then to now. The new policy is a problem IMO if you're a woman b/c there are also conflicting vibes on what it means to marry and who might be good enough. I think every country that wants women to marry and bear children faster shoudl likely put more pressure on men and not women if they want to get the job done, IMO. I mean, it's not a 1 sided decision people....!
P.335 the undocumented worker thing in Thailand and the subsequent repeal due to the impact to construction and other services. Very relevant, but again, would have loved more and an actual conclusion or point at the end of it.
Again, this is excellent if you don't know anything about Asia. I'd have dinner with this guy any day of the week. Knowledgeable and smart. But limited for me personally in the way of Conclusions and real stances on what to do.
March 8, 2019
When reading this I quickly thought of Fukuyama's 'End of History' and that's NOT a compliment. The author is much too optimistic about "reconciliation" between Taiwan and China for example. And a united "Korea" will be a powerhouse but NOT discussing the military implications. Think Japan. Will 'Asia' continue to grow economically, yes, however I think it will be more uneven and full of conflict then suggested.
January 19, 2023
January 2023: The Future is Asian
Look at the world map and see how vast Asia is, and the opportunity and potential this continent holds.
It is not impossible to say Asia holds the future. This book explains about it.
The book starts with the history of Asia, crammed in Chapter 1 – A History of The World: An Asian View. Asia was the birth place of human civilization and innovation which we sometimes seem to forget or ignored, as mentioned by the author:
“Remember that both the history of today and rules for tomorrow are written by winners – and Asia is gaining ground.”
The book continues to show where Asia stands in the West; North America, South America and even Africa from the geopolitical, economics and historical aspects. China, Russia, India, Japan, South Korea and Singapore are among the most exemplary Asian countries mentioned in this book.
In Chapter 9 – Asia’s Technocratic Future, the author explains how Singapore as a role model in leading the country by technocrats (“…extensively educated, trained and experienced professionals, not just pedigreed elites”).
“Asians are finding their preferences for technocratic governance, social order and conservative justice bind them together in an era when Western societies no longer serve as role models for their future.” Pg330
Asians had already been everywhere around the world whether through studying abroad, or working. The Asian effects were discussed in Chapter 10 – Asia Goes Global: The Fusion of Civilizations from food, sports to movies. This was what I was looking for especially after the Qatar World Cup and recent Golden Globe Awards.
It’s my loss that I could not catch up some topics discussed in this book, I even skipped Chapter 4: Asia-nomics. For me, the book is too advanced and reread is a must. Nevertheless, this book managed to instill a deeper curiosity (I was already curious when I picked this book) especially on Belt and Road Initiative, Cold War, GDP and Democracy.
Look at the world map and see how vast Asia is, and the opportunity and potential this continent holds.
It is not impossible to say Asia holds the future. This book explains about it.
The book starts with the history of Asia, crammed in Chapter 1 – A History of The World: An Asian View. Asia was the birth place of human civilization and innovation which we sometimes seem to forget or ignored, as mentioned by the author:
“Remember that both the history of today and rules for tomorrow are written by winners – and Asia is gaining ground.”
The book continues to show where Asia stands in the West; North America, South America and even Africa from the geopolitical, economics and historical aspects. China, Russia, India, Japan, South Korea and Singapore are among the most exemplary Asian countries mentioned in this book.
In Chapter 9 – Asia’s Technocratic Future, the author explains how Singapore as a role model in leading the country by technocrats (“…extensively educated, trained and experienced professionals, not just pedigreed elites”).
“Asians are finding their preferences for technocratic governance, social order and conservative justice bind them together in an era when Western societies no longer serve as role models for their future.” Pg330
Asians had already been everywhere around the world whether through studying abroad, or working. The Asian effects were discussed in Chapter 10 – Asia Goes Global: The Fusion of Civilizations from food, sports to movies. This was what I was looking for especially after the Qatar World Cup and recent Golden Globe Awards.
It’s my loss that I could not catch up some topics discussed in this book, I even skipped Chapter 4: Asia-nomics. For me, the book is too advanced and reread is a must. Nevertheless, this book managed to instill a deeper curiosity (I was already curious when I picked this book) especially on Belt and Road Initiative, Cold War, GDP and Democracy.
May 11, 2020
"The Future Is Asian" seems at first to be one of those title-proving books which seek to convince the reader about the outlandish title with tunnel vision arguments. However, page after page, Khanna throws one fact after another which makes his arguments quite plausible, if not convincing in all cases. Many of his assertions made me question some of my fundamental beliefs, such as liberal democracies being the gold standard of political systems.
Khanna didn't convert me into a zealot for Technocracy but his data-driven arguments came pretty close; so close that I am now genuinely concerned about all Asia adopting Technocracy over Democracy. The Western liberal democratic system is built upon preventing those in power from doing harm. The East Asian utilitarian technocratic system is built upon enabling good governance. The former is a restrictive system which today impedes growth while the later is a permissive system which in the past led to power abuse. Khanna does not fairly compare the two - he juxtaposes only the current failings of democratic institutions with the successes of technocratic governments. He pauses to consider the "Western Elitist" fears of undemocratic systems before calling these concerns unfounded for a new age. He thus, disavows the adage that those who don't learn from history are meant to repeat it.
Nonetheless, every person, especially in the United States should read this book to wake up from the self-congratulatory complacency that the country incubated after defeating the totalitarian Nazi and Soviet regimes. Khanna pitilessly assails almost every aspect of the current American system. In any other book, this might have seemed like West-bashing and Non-Western grandstanding. But it is impossible to refute his meticulous compilation of Asian strengths and Western weaknesses.
Khanna takes an unabashed partisan stance in highlighting the successes of Asian ventures without bothering to get bogged down by their all-to-often-derided flaws. He isn't disingenuous in doing so - he simply wants us to focus on the positive side of Asia. For those of us with an intractable belief in the superiority of Western systems and the concomitant disdain for those that don't adhere to the same standards, this book asks us to shed those biases and objectively look at Asia, that's all.
Khanna didn't convert me into a zealot for Technocracy but his data-driven arguments came pretty close; so close that I am now genuinely concerned about all Asia adopting Technocracy over Democracy. The Western liberal democratic system is built upon preventing those in power from doing harm. The East Asian utilitarian technocratic system is built upon enabling good governance. The former is a restrictive system which today impedes growth while the later is a permissive system which in the past led to power abuse. Khanna does not fairly compare the two - he juxtaposes only the current failings of democratic institutions with the successes of technocratic governments. He pauses to consider the "Western Elitist" fears of undemocratic systems before calling these concerns unfounded for a new age. He thus, disavows the adage that those who don't learn from history are meant to repeat it.
Nonetheless, every person, especially in the United States should read this book to wake up from the self-congratulatory complacency that the country incubated after defeating the totalitarian Nazi and Soviet regimes. Khanna pitilessly assails almost every aspect of the current American system. In any other book, this might have seemed like West-bashing and Non-Western grandstanding. But it is impossible to refute his meticulous compilation of Asian strengths and Western weaknesses.
Khanna takes an unabashed partisan stance in highlighting the successes of Asian ventures without bothering to get bogged down by their all-to-often-derided flaws. He isn't disingenuous in doing so - he simply wants us to focus on the positive side of Asia. For those of us with an intractable belief in the superiority of Western systems and the concomitant disdain for those that don't adhere to the same standards, this book asks us to shed those biases and objectively look at Asia, that's all.
September 5, 2022
Really interesting read for Americans, humbling. Couple key points:
1. Asian is defined as the geographical region that includes Russia, the Middle East, the pacific and Australia, which is about half of the world. So his claim is not as far fetched as you would expect.
2. He doesn’t go so far as to say that China is going to dominate like the British Empire or how western countries have in the past. Rather it will be the number influence on the word. (See their economic plan for the Silk Road)
3. The most important point: think of Asian as a distinct culture that has different priorities then the west that will lead to different policies which will surprise Americans.
Conclusion: if he is right I think it is valuable for more Americans to spend time in the East so we can adapt and build. Americans are not good inventors but great innovators. Our advantage will be in adopting and adapting what is happening in Asia. For instance: the atom bomb was built by Americans but developed by immigrants to America.
1. Asian is defined as the geographical region that includes Russia, the Middle East, the pacific and Australia, which is about half of the world. So his claim is not as far fetched as you would expect.
2. He doesn’t go so far as to say that China is going to dominate like the British Empire or how western countries have in the past. Rather it will be the number influence on the word. (See their economic plan for the Silk Road)
3. The most important point: think of Asian as a distinct culture that has different priorities then the west that will lead to different policies which will surprise Americans.
Conclusion: if he is right I think it is valuable for more Americans to spend time in the East so we can adapt and build. Americans are not good inventors but great innovators. Our advantage will be in adopting and adapting what is happening in Asia. For instance: the atom bomb was built by Americans but developed by immigrants to America.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
January 10, 2019I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley for review purposes. This does not affect my rating or opinions of the book.
DNF at 33%.
For all the beginning talk about how Asia is more than China and Japan, and should also include Russia and Australia, there sure is a LOT of focus on China (and to a lesser extent Japan). Yes, I get that it's a global superpower and thus a major investor and influence in Asian, and has ties to every country, but it seems to upstage all the other countries when the book's focus alleges to shift. I'm also having trouble following the thread of the argument; it seems more like an infodump of Asian history and the current state of Asian and Western affairs, complete with lots of acronyms that are spelled out but otherwise not really explained.
Also, I'm really interested in Asian history and global politics/business, but this book is over 300 pages long and I'm bored out of my mind. So no thank you.
DNF at 33%.
For all the beginning talk about how Asia is more than China and Japan, and should also include Russia and Australia, there sure is a LOT of focus on China (and to a lesser extent Japan). Yes, I get that it's a global superpower and thus a major investor and influence in Asian, and has ties to every country, but it seems to upstage all the other countries when the book's focus alleges to shift. I'm also having trouble following the thread of the argument; it seems more like an infodump of Asian history and the current state of Asian and Western affairs, complete with lots of acronyms that are spelled out but otherwise not really explained.
Also, I'm really interested in Asian history and global politics/business, but this book is over 300 pages long and I'm bored out of my mind. So no thank you.
April 4, 2019
4+ I found this very useful. It is dense, there are pages and pages of details on trade relations between Asian countries, but the level of detail also elevates it above the usual ‘China is coming’ literature. I very much appreciate that this looks at Asia as a whole and has given me a starting point to expand my knowledge of the entire region (I am pretty OK when it comes to Asian history, less so with current affairs). The moral view point, if you can call it that, is sometimes confusing - it oscillates between detached ‘objectiveness’ and more value-based approach -, it is occasionally too lenient with China (although it is really refreshing to read a non-panicky take on the country) and possibly too flattering to Europe compared to the US, but overall it seems to get things right. Plus any analysis of the new world order that mentions the Korean beauty industry is fundamentally sound in my book. An investment in terms of time, but well worth reading.
November 5, 2019
Too supportive of authoritarian regimes, too optimistic about technocrats solving the region’s problems, oversimplifying the issues and the divisions. Future is definitely Asian but this book overlooks the difficulties of getting there and possible negative consequences of it.
December 24, 2023
Err ok caveat DNF heh I think read up to halfway this summer so review mostly based on the first few chapters. For sure, I can appreciate the extensive research done (i can feel the effort). But after a certain point, this book felt like it was just throwing a bunch of facts at me (maybe that was the point? but not really what I find to be productive discussion). Aside from an overall awareness of how Asia is picking up again and flourishing + some sweeping statements I can't entirely agree with, I really got nothing conclusive to take away haha. Maybe I'll pick it up again in the future and change my mind, but not too optimistic about that as of rn :"
March 31, 2019
Extraordinario libro para entender Asia, el mundo actual y las décadas que vienen. Una investigación completa y detallada que ayuda a entender en detalle las realidades asiáticas y globales. Una obra imprescindible. Otro gran libro de Parag Khanna.
April 11, 2021
I really wanted to like this book but it just was not possible. Khanna's work boils down to an incredibly messy information dump of 'all things Asian' with an 'analysis' (at least he calls it that) that is not only simplistic, reductionist, and naive but frankly quite patronising at times. With an often condescending tone, he is at his most unbearable when he tells Asians that they 'need to learn' certain things - but behold the brilliant author has got it all figured out already! Another reason why this book made me so angry is that it just throws various issues together to seemingly make a point which more often than not ends up contradicting other parts in the book. The slightly racist and neoliberal (despite claiming not to be one) undertones as well as the stance that everything is going to be alright all too often remind one of Fukuyama's end-of-history drivel, however, this time it's 'with Asian characteristics'. Not only that but he also almost never talks about workers. When he does, the future is bright because now they can work multiple jobs in the gig economy and can be exploited in ever more sophisticated ways. This is not an Asian perspective, this is an elitist perspective, illustrated by the fact that the people he quotes are all business people and high-ranking officials. I guess not a single time has the author bothered to talk to any 'ordinary' person while compiling this book but feels nonetheless inclined to make qualified comments about the issues they face. This book made me so angry, at times I wanted to throw it out the window - how has this pseudointellectual information dump (which can be obtained simply by following the news with a keen interest in Asia) managed to receive the accolades it did? This is the kind of book you'd find on your casually racist but internationally curious and well-intentioned (Western) uncle's nightstand but it certainly wasn't a book for me. The future is Asian? Potentially - but you certainly don't need to read this book in order to learn about it. It offered little to no new information and other than enraging me the book did nothing for me. I'd recommend reading other books about Asia - don't bother to buy this one though!
April 15, 2019
Khanna provides an Asian perspective on the future of international relations. The best part of his writing is how he highlights the diversity of views not just across Asia, but within Asian countries themselves. He challenges the conventional wisdom of many public thinkers and policy makers in the US by highlighting the challenges facing their counterparts in other countries. However, in covering all of Asia in one book, from the Middle East to East Asia, Khanna dilutes the narrative and loses the opportunity to emphasize some of his main points. With the rise of China and India and the geostrategic importance of the Middle East, it is obvious that Asia will play a major role in international affairs. Khanna provides many examples of how Asian countries are influencing international affairs, but in covering examples from dozens of countries this ends up being a highly selective assortment of stories and one can challenge his views by pointing to similar stories of how other countries are influencing the world in Europe, Africa, or the Americas. Khanna also makes several minor mistakes describing some of his examples that might be lost on many readers, and there were almost certainly a few other mistakes lost on me.
As such, readers interested in a particular country or region would be best served by going to other books. Those interested in a quick summary of how Asia is influencing the west would enjoy this book, but well-informed readers will not get as much out of it as those less familiar with Asia.
As such, readers interested in a particular country or region would be best served by going to other books. Those interested in a quick summary of how Asia is influencing the west would enjoy this book, but well-informed readers will not get as much out of it as those less familiar with Asia.
December 20, 2019
Usually, I try to follow my own set up rule of waiting some month before writing a review. However, in this case, I like to hold on to some of my thoughts of the book.
Parag Khanna has clearly insights in Asia as a region which he is able to present in a clear, interesting and sometimes stunning way. With his background he is straightening up some facts and fill gaps in history about Asia.
For me as a western styled educated European, the first third of the book was a huge eye opener. The second third kept me glued to the book (amazing facts and logical connections of these). The last third of the book, from time to time, rather felt like a pink washing of some ideas, developments, wishes and happenings in Asia.
For example I agree that China will not replace the US as a world power in the image as of today’s US. However, I do have difficulties to fully take in the romanticized vision of a tamed China as a peaceful nation next to his neighbours. Maybe I am not able to see beyond the tight grip of China ruling of Hong Kong or they way China expresses the goal, by any means, to “keep” Taiwan in the realm. Nevertheless, it felt partly odd and not likely. Again, it might be my cultural and educational background preventing me to see the obvious. I do not dare to say for sure.
Anyway, the book is still a must read for everyone who wants to understand more of the complexity of the region and what the future might look like.
One thing fore sure, I agree with he title of the book, “the future is Asian”.
Parag Khanna has clearly insights in Asia as a region which he is able to present in a clear, interesting and sometimes stunning way. With his background he is straightening up some facts and fill gaps in history about Asia.
For me as a western styled educated European, the first third of the book was a huge eye opener. The second third kept me glued to the book (amazing facts and logical connections of these). The last third of the book, from time to time, rather felt like a pink washing of some ideas, developments, wishes and happenings in Asia.
For example I agree that China will not replace the US as a world power in the image as of today’s US. However, I do have difficulties to fully take in the romanticized vision of a tamed China as a peaceful nation next to his neighbours. Maybe I am not able to see beyond the tight grip of China ruling of Hong Kong or they way China expresses the goal, by any means, to “keep” Taiwan in the realm. Nevertheless, it felt partly odd and not likely. Again, it might be my cultural and educational background preventing me to see the obvious. I do not dare to say for sure.
Anyway, the book is still a must read for everyone who wants to understand more of the complexity of the region and what the future might look like.
One thing fore sure, I agree with he title of the book, “the future is Asian”.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2023
I am always skeptical about books that seek or claim to explain "everything". This book did not convince me either. The author nitpicks facts and occasionally anecdotal evidence to "prove" his narrative. The book does not give a balanced view on the subject and readers interested in the topic should certainly pick up other books or articles to get a better understanding. Some chapters were stronger and more convincing than others. Certainly the last one on culture is a mix of random wild examples.
Another chapter that stood out was the one n technocracy (which i would call a loveletter to meritocracy). It is one of the more interesting chapters because the author's own voice comes through and a clearer argument is presented which you can then weigh against other arguments. But some of the language use in that one is silly to say the least (e.g "collectively, Singapore's civil servants are a well-rounded team of humble perfectionists"). But I did like the fact that it did not equate the American model of democracy with democracy as such, but looked at it in its more pluralistic form. Considering that this book is likely also read a lot by Asians, it offers to convey the various shades of the Western model. Too often the West seems to equal the States from that perspective.
It is a fine book if you want to get a mix of cherrypicked facts from across a wast region. You will certainly learn a few interesting things. Albeit keep in mind that the book was written before Covid and the Ukraine-Russia war.
Another chapter that stood out was the one n technocracy (which i would call a loveletter to meritocracy). It is one of the more interesting chapters because the author's own voice comes through and a clearer argument is presented which you can then weigh against other arguments. But some of the language use in that one is silly to say the least (e.g "collectively, Singapore's civil servants are a well-rounded team of humble perfectionists"). But I did like the fact that it did not equate the American model of democracy with democracy as such, but looked at it in its more pluralistic form. Considering that this book is likely also read a lot by Asians, it offers to convey the various shades of the Western model. Too often the West seems to equal the States from that perspective.
It is a fine book if you want to get a mix of cherrypicked facts from across a wast region. You will certainly learn a few interesting things. Albeit keep in mind that the book was written before Covid and the Ukraine-Russia war.
November 4, 2019
As an American, I have been feeling very down about the state of my country and the world, and was utterly convinced that my generation might be the last to reach old age before the Earth imploded upon itself. But then I read this book, and now I have renewed hope for our future. I, and I'm sure many other fellow westerners as well, had been ignorant to the fact that Asia has been faring so well (in higher education, economic expansion, increasing quality of life, etc.) while the West spirals into economic and political chaos. My previous pessimism resulted from a very limited worldview and western-centric education and mindset that I'd THOUGHT I was aware of and was actively overcoming, but that apparently wasn't the case! Now, I am a bit more conscious of my tendency to view other countries' interests and justifications through a western lens. I didn't agree with everything Khanna said, but I did enjoy reading his take on the possibilities and likelihood of our future as a truly globalized, multipolar system of nations with unique histories and cultural identities, but with a common goal to work towards. I especially liked the chapters on Asia's technocracies and more utilitarian mindsets and why they work. Perhaps it's time we do more cultural and educational exchanges in the other direction to see what we can learn from Asian universities and governments as well. The next few decades are going to be interesting. I'm excited.
May 31, 2019
This book is worth a read, period. But it comes across as less a travelogue or regional analysis in the vein of Robert Kaplan and more like a recitation of positive factoids about the redistribution of global wealth from west to east that is currently happening. Parag is intimately familiar with the shifting global flows of wealth, people, and talent, and makes a compelling case for the knitting together of supra-Asian identity out of the incredibly diverse cast of countries from Russia to Australia and from Turkey to Japan. The more interesting parts of the book (to me) are those that make explicit the emerging connections between Asia's distinct regions through infrastructure and mobility, a la Connectography, my favorite book by the author. I enjoyed The Future is Asian less, though, because it reads as overtly positive and papers over some of the deep-rooted challenges Asian states face in the coming decades.
March 5, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Parag Khanna gave an excellent, well-rounded ‘review’ of Asia, including everything from political systems to the music scene. It was a real eye opener to the geographical politics of Asia, and how it is akin to a phoenix rising from the ashes. The subject itself is fascinating, and very crucial to a coherent view of the world.
It was well informed, at times humorous, and always interesting. I like how interconnected he described the world, and the transition from past to present, the breaking of bonds of colonialism and the traditional Western view points on… everything. One of the most interesting aspects was the chapter on Asia’s Technocratic Future. This was an intriguing and very viable counterpoint to democracy, and Khanna detailed it in a coherent fashion that was extremely accessible. In addition, the ‘brief’ history of Asia (if anyone can call it that) at the beginning of the book would encourage all readers to do more research. Overall, a relevant book, combining the past and the future, as Asia sets a new template to reshape our world.
It was well informed, at times humorous, and always interesting. I like how interconnected he described the world, and the transition from past to present, the breaking of bonds of colonialism and the traditional Western view points on… everything. One of the most interesting aspects was the chapter on Asia’s Technocratic Future. This was an intriguing and very viable counterpoint to democracy, and Khanna detailed it in a coherent fashion that was extremely accessible. In addition, the ‘brief’ history of Asia (if anyone can call it that) at the beginning of the book would encourage all readers to do more research. Overall, a relevant book, combining the past and the future, as Asia sets a new template to reshape our world.
May 11, 2023
This book was so badly written which is such a shame because it has a lot of good information in it (which is why it gets 2 stars and not just 1). The writing is all over the place, the tone of the writing is not at all exciting and reads like an economic paper. There are chapters that have completely no relevance or linkage to the book as a whole. I skipped the whole history chapter halfway through because this guy tried to cram all of Asian history (and I mean ALL OF IT) into 50 pages. He never references it again.
Part of the material really feels cherry-picked especially when I lived in some of these countries and felt that the writing was not entirely accurate. It made me question the things I took at face value.
Part of the material really feels cherry-picked especially when I lived in some of these countries and felt that the writing was not entirely accurate. It made me question the things I took at face value.
November 18, 2019
Content is really inspiring and eye opening to any westerner, once one cracks that nut. It feels more like a science paper and could be as convincingly delivered with ⅓ of the pages to any commoner.
Nezar Alderazi reading it robotically for Audible doesn’t make thousands of appearances of dates, percentages and gazillions of dollars easier to follow at all.
Heavy usage and introduction of acronyms for Everything sounds more like funny spelling bee than serious audiobook :)
Nezar Alderazi reading it robotically for Audible doesn’t make thousands of appearances of dates, percentages and gazillions of dollars easier to follow at all.
Heavy usage and introduction of acronyms for Everything sounds more like funny spelling bee than serious audiobook :)
February 1, 2022
Interessantissimo spacco del mondo Asiatico e di come l'economia ormai tenda dal lato Asia e di come la Cina , in particolare ne sia fonte trainante . Come nuova super potenza economica e tecnologica. Interessanti gli insights sugli altri paesi del midlle East (Vietnam, Giappone, India, Indonesia, Singapore).
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April 24, 2020omg
i am done
i don't want to rate this book because it was the first essay i read that talked about such precise asian topics. it was very difficult to all understand, but i think this book gave me a very good overview of the situation and i am so proud of myself for reading it.
i am done
i don't want to rate this book because it was the first essay i read that talked about such precise asian topics. it was very difficult to all understand, but i think this book gave me a very good overview of the situation and i am so proud of myself for reading it.
March 23, 2019
Necessarily and unabashedly empowering and inspiring, albeit at times too fancifully theoretical—but understandably casting a big long-term vision more so than providing practical day-to-day suggestions for its concrete implementation.
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