Asia was once the envy of the West—and the world is about to turn full circle. According to international relations expert Parag Khanna, it's Asia's young leaders at the forefront of this sea change
A change is coming. From 2020, data suggests, Asian economies will be larger than the rest of the world combined for the first time since the 19th century. At the same time, the world is increasingly looking east. From K-pop to mindfulness, Asian culture and philosophies are growing in influence.
These economic and cultural developments didn’t happen overnight. For decades, political and economic analysts have been heralding the dawn of the Asian Century—when the world turns full circle and Asia once again becomes its centre.
Parag Khanna, global strategy advisor and international relations specialist, is one such analyst. His most recent book, The Future is Asian, sets out how the region is uniting and reshaping the planet. “The Asian Century is already upon us. That doesn’t mean that Asia is replacing the West. Asia is simply taking its rightful place alongside North America and Europe as the third major power centre of the world,” says Khanna.
While analysts tend to view the rise of Asia on a macro scale—its economic surges and population growth—the increasing power of the region is very much about key individuals. “It’s the story of leaders,” says Khanna. “It’s very much about individuals seizing upon urbanisation, digitisation and financialisation, really using the latest technology and embracing the future to be part of the story of their country’s modernisation and economic growth.”