09/07/2023 21:52
We are witnessing, at the beginning of the 21st century, the emergence of a new world order. Many Western politicians, leading economists and prominent researchers tell us that this is Asia’s century. The centre of gravity of the world economy is pivoting to Asia and the era of Eurasia has already begun.
But what does this actually mean for us?
At the end of the Cold War, the United States was the only superpower left, and a unipolar world order was established. However, in the last two decades new economic areas and centres of power with global significance have emerged, primarily in Asia. China is the most obvious candidate to become a superpower alongside the US.
Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski saw the rise of China as the end of the unipolar world order. Both statesmen expressed the view that a multipolar world order would evolve after a long series of geopolitical conflicts in which Asia would gain an essential position.
Eurasia’s importance has increased since the 2000s. At the same time, a new multicentric world order is emerging in which the unity of Europe and Asia is taking on new meaning. British historian Peter Frankopan is already writing about the emergence of a Eurasian supercontinent. According to Portuguese politician Bruno Maçães, the world map is being redrawn with the balance of power tipping eastwards, creating a new geographical entity, Eurasia, which stretches from Lisbon to Jakarta.
Our fundamental objective is to introduce and present the Asian point of view as opposed to the single-sided Western news, and thus to find some sort of golden mean; quoting Seneca “ The other side shall be heard as well' or, in the wise words of the ancient Chinese strategist Sun Tzu: “...if you know the other and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles”. Let us discover Asia and Eurasia.
Cover photo: iStock