The End of the Asian Century: War, Stagnation, and the Risks to the World’s Most Dynamic Region
Published By: Yale University Press
Available from:
Since Marco Polo, the West has waited for the “Asian Century.” Today, the world believes that century has arrived. Yet from China’s slumping economy to war clouds over the South China Sea, and from environmental devastation to demographic crisis, Asia’s future is increasingly uncertain.
Historian and geopolitical expert Michael Auslin argues that far from being a cohesive powerhouse, Asia is a fractured region threatened by stagnation and instability. Here, he provides a comprehensive account of the economic, military, political, and demographic risks that bedevil half of our world, arguing that Asia, working with the United States, has a unique opportunity to avert catastrophe — but only if it acts boldly. Bringing together firsthand observations and decades of research, Auslin’s provocative reassessment of Asia’s future will be a must read for industry and investors, as well as politicians and scholars, for years to come.
Praise for “The End of the Asian Century”
“Michael Auslin argues powerfully for a dose of reality when assessing the current situation in Asia and its future problems and prospects.”
—George P. Shultz, former US secretary of state and secretary of the treasury
“A powerful antidote to the Asiaphoria that dominates conventional wisdom. Agree or disagree, Auslin’s argument deserves serious reflection.”
—Lawrence H. Summers, former US secretary of the treasury and president emeritus, Harvard University
“The most complete and realistic book on the subject I have read in a long time. It demonstrates in bold and specific terms how we must not take Asian stability for granted.”
—Robert D. Kaplan, author of “The Revenge of Geography” and “Monsoon”
“A unique analysis, and likely prescient, of the world’s most vibrant region.”
—Frederick W. Smith, chairman and CEO, FedEx Corporation
“An excellent guide for anyone interested in the prospects for Asia, whether you are an investor, policymaker, or executive.”
—Henry R. Kravis, cochairman and co-CEO, KKR
“A must read for anyone who wants to go beyond today’s oversimplified sloganeering.”
—General (Ret.) Michael V. Hayden, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency
“A thoughtful, deeply researched, and engagingly-written primer on how to think about the future of this vital region.”
—Robert Kagan, author of “The World America Made”
“Auslin clearly explains the weakest links between Asia and the rest of the world, as well as the possible crisis points.”
—Garry Kasparov, chairman of the Human Rights Foundation and author of “Winter Is Coming”
“A sober corrective to the conventional wisdom of Asia’s inevitable rise, pointing to the real dangers of nationalism, conflict, and slowing economic growth.”
—Francis Fukuyama, author of “The End of History and the Last Man”
“The conventional wisdom has long held that Asia is inexorably rising while America declines. In a bold and provocative book that is sure to spark debate, Michael Auslin challenges that old thinking by showing that Asia risks a calamitous descent into conflict and economic turmoil. Written with grace and insight, ‘The End of the Asian Century’ is must reading for anyone interested not just in Asia but in geopolitics more broadly.”
—Max Boot, Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow for National Security Studies, Council on Foreign Relations, and author, “The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power”
“At a time when Asia’s importance is matched only by its complexity and unpredictability, Michael Auslin has provided us a thoughtful, deeply researched, and engagingly-written primer on how to think about the future of this vital region.”
—Robert Kagan, senior fellow, Brookings Institution, and author, “The World America Made”
“Everyone talks of Western decline. But Michael Auslin, in this well-crafted and documented systematic survey of contemporary Asia, persuasively demonstrates that far more likely is an implosion in the East, threatening the entire postwar American-led economic and political order. A rare and completely original book that is as engaging as it is sometimes frightening.”
—Victor Davis Hanson, senior fellow, the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and author, “Carnage and Culture”
“Keenly written, extravagantly well-informed and unfailingly incisive, ‘The End of the Asian Century’ is a sobering warning about the risks emanating from a region of the world that is much-discussed, but also much misunderstood. Policy-makers and business leaders ignore Michael Auslin at their peril.”
—Rich Lowry, editor, National Review