In his recent book, "Asian Century … on a Knife-edge," John West questions the conventional wisdom that the 21st century will belong to Asia. He argues that in recent years many observers have succumbed to a case of “Asian-Century hype.” In reality, Asia is suffering from stunted economic and social development. John identifies seven economic, social, political and geopolitical challenges for realising an Asian Century, but doubts that Asia’s leading economies have the political will to tackle these challenges. Further, he identifies numerous possible sources of economic, social, and political crisis.
Nevertheless, the Indo-Pacific of the 21st century is becoming increasingly dominated by Asia’s emerging giants - China, India and Indonesia - which have some of the world's largest economies. John argues that these countries are fragile superpowers whose power derives mainly from their enormous populations. Even by mid-century, they will still be well behind advanced countries like the US, Japan and Germany in terms of economic, business, and technological sophistication. But this has not stopped the rise of strategic competition between an increasingly distracted US and a growingly assertive China, despite the latter's domestic fragilities. Countries like Australia face great challenges in adapting to this new strategic environment.
India Today: Relations with Australia and the Region - how to get more zing into things
Challenges for the Global Economy in 2012
Australia's National Security Challenges - A New World Coming
Australian Uranium Exports: Atoms for Peace or Too Hot to Handle?
The Arab Spring: Where to Now? - Dr Sally Totman
Australia in World Affairs: Middle Power Dreaming
AIIAV Festive Luncheon with Prof. Michael L'Estrange AO, National Security College, ANU
Why Women are Key to a Better World
Citizen Diplomacy - How Ordinary People can Change the World (Part 2)
Citizen Diplomacy - How Ordinary People can Change the World (Part 1)
Lessons of the Cold War - Professor Joseph Siracusa
Tim Lindsey - Indonesia
Sir Zelman Cowen Oration - Dennis Richardson 12/10/11
Western Sahara and its Phosphate Rock: Is Australia in a hard place? - Kamel Fadel and Tim Robertson
China Political Changes and Challenges - Dr Geoff Raby 28/09/2011
How the World Sees Australia - Nick Bryant 21/09/2011
The Fallout from Fukushima - Dr Ziggy Switkowski 14/09/2011
Deadly Water: the Secret World of Somalia’s Pirates - Jay Bahadur, 12-9-11
AIIA VIC The World of Terrorism 10 Years after 9/11, Prof. Greg Barton, Dr Pete Lentini and Dr Natal
Dr Daniel Twining - The future of the US role in the Indo-Pacific and implications for US allies and
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