Asia P.8. Asia's History Hasn't Ended It Has Returned

The Asian “supercomplex” has taken shape: this is evident within the cross-membership model to Asian intergovernmental organizations and through the appearance of political counterweights to China, particularly in India. The United States’ engagements in East and South Asia are also part of this supercomplex. The hardening of Beijing since 2008 has helped maintain US influence in Asia, despite Washington’s decline on the international stage.

Barry Buzan Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics

There are copious books, white papers, government reports which have been written bestowing the virtues of doing business in Asia. What they seem to miss is the loss that companies will incur for not being represented in Asia. 

Asia consists of 5 billion people.

All to often we in the west are concerned by China and view Asia as China centric.  This is wrong. China is 1.5 billion people less than one third of Asia. Asia throughout history has influenced the west, their business practices, economies, and behaviours.  It's important to understand Asia stretches from Turkey in its West to China in the East with middle East termed middle Asia. It consists of many diverse civilizations which at times have engaged in conflict, but have always traded. 

When you consider America's period and the colonial period then you see just how short a window it was. History can be compartmentalized. 19C belonged to Europe as they colonized many parts of the globe, with the British leading the way, the British Empire. Following which, came the US era of dominance. But, as the US begins to wain we now look to Asia to emerge, and it’s not disappointing.

• It's important to understand Asia had a history of dominance. For almost two millennia they have established with one and another commercial ties which have stretched from the Caspian sea, Mediterranean to the Indus valley. From the fifteenth century Asia had diplomatic ties, economic infrastructure and an advanced cultural sensitivity in dealing with each other. 

A great example; the Buddhist Shwedagon temple situated in Myanmar (Burma) is just one testament of the cultural advance those regions have made, whilst we have languished in the ‘dark ages'. This temple has existed for more than two millennia. Its structure is immense standing 105M tall dominating the skyline of Yangon. This is just one example.

• China has a museum in Xian which portrays to the development of paper as a Chinese success. Some would argue it came from Egypt. For me I don't know which, but the silk road connected both. 

Asia growth has been re-born

Swedagon Temple over 2000 years

My point here is simple. Whilst the last two centuries played out Asia has been fragmented, too poor to participate or protect against the western dominance. They emerged fractured and to some extent cowed. All that has changed, Asia has again risen and will only gain strength throughout this century.  As Professor Kishore Mahbubani, a Singaporean academic and diplomat published a provocative collection of essays titled Can Asians Think? Understanding East and Western thinking and the disparities it produces. As I can attest to, as an advisor to some of the largest companies in Indonesia.  Meetings with Western equity partners were always interesting the west had few shades of gray with Americans operating primarily in black and white. Whereby Asians have so many shades of gray. I'll leave you to ponder the significance of that.

It's important to see China for what it is: The west is deeply suspicious of China, and they should be. The west through George W Bush’s incompetence and Barack Obama couldn't care attitude they have allowed China to dominate the narrative. However, China has spent in Asia some $50billion on infrastructure but it has still bought them little in the way of traction in the region.
  

China's, overheating economy, protectionist policies, aggressive crowding to push competitors out. They are pushing other regions to the front. None less than the young of Indonesia they have with others become a priority for Asia's economic well-being.   China represents to just one-third of Asia’s population, half of Asia’s GDP, half of its outward investment, and less than half of its inbound investment. Asia is much more than just China. 

The Belt and Road scheme has many participants, it is the most significant diplomatic project of the twenty-first century. It is equivalent to the founding of the United Nations, World Bank add the Marshall Plan, it is that big! The crucial difference to these, BRI was conceived in Asia, launched in Asia and will be led by Asians.  More on the BRI click here  More on BRI click here

Asia, in my opinion Indonesia is the growth area.more on Indonesia click here