2 - Asia's Rise: The Challenge of Stability

Summary

Politics and security are driven by economic and social dynamics and we would do justice to politics and security by paying proper attention to the economic forces. Economic and social drivers of strategic dynamics are reflected in the rise of India and China as the major Asian players and in the establishment of the East Asian Summit with the objective of building an Asian community.

It's now an acknowledged fact that Asia is on the rise although this rise is not quite in the form of the Nehruvian vision, which we in India are very familiar with. Nehru had a vision of integrating Asia and making it a focal point of influence in world politics; shaping world politics in a manner conducive and advantageous to Asians. There were factors which fitted that vision but there were also forces which did not allow that vision to take shape at that particular point of time; although there is now a new drive to recreate that vision. Of course, in this new context it cannot be exactly what Nehru might have thought of but it certainly carries the core of Nehru's idea. In this rise of Asia, I see India and China as the core players and actors. They have shown more than eight per cent economic growth and together represent one-third of humanity.

India and China are indeed critical to the whole question of global prosperity and growth. I think their prosperity and their growth rates are generating economic surpluses which are attracting global corporate interest to Asia in a manner not seen before. This in turn is creating high expectations of the two countries, whatever may be the doubts about their ability to work together and move Asia forward.

But the rise of India and China is also raising apprehensions. I have read the reports of speeches of both President Bush and Prime Minister Blair warning their own people that if they do not work hard enough India and China would over take them.