Kishore Mahbubani's new book addresses shift of global power
By May Wong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 04 February 2008 2157 hrs

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SINGAPORE: The era of Western domination is over and global power is shifting to the East, argues former diplomat Professor Kishore Mahbubani in his new book.

The Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy launched his new book, "The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East", at the Raffles Hotel on Monday evening.

Described as controversial, thought-provoking and daring, the book has drawn attention in the corporate, academic and diplomatic circles.

Prof Mahbubani writes that Asia is rising and explains how it will change the global economic and political landscape.

The book also highlights why the West will have problems adjusting to these new changes.

The author, who took about eight months to complete his third book, even offers prescriptions on how to tackle these challenges.

He said: "One outrageous claim I make is that Western minds are trapped in Western mental boxes and cannot see how the world will have to change when we move from a mono-civilizational world to a multi-civilizational world.

"One of the key goals of my book is to shock Western minds out of their zones of cultural comfort and also to encourage other Asians to speak out boldly. I'm confident a great debate is about to begin. Asians need to participate in it more actively. I hope my book will stimulate other Asian voices."

Prof Mahbubani said the chapters on De-westernization and Western Incompetence will definitely bring about great cultural discomfort.

But he said the book also stresses that Asians want to replicate and not dominate the West.

Now that the book is officially out, it remains to be seen what kind of reactions he will get from both the East and the West.


- CNA/so