Minxin Pei is professor ofgovernment at Claremont McKennaCollege and a - PDF document

Minxin Pei is professor ofgovernment at Claremont McKennaCollege and a non-resident seniorfellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Copyright: Project Syndicate ,the son of one of Mao asupposed “immortal” of the Aplace awarded to a less Monday,October14,2013A11�CONTACT USAgree or disagree with the opinionson this page? Write to us atletters@scmIf you have an idea for an opinionarticle, email it to s Russian President VladimirPutin stole a march on the USover Syria and as PresidentBarack Obama saw his much-vauntedparticipation at thesquabbles, the unspoken question iswhether this may signal a global tilt awayTo be sure, US military strengthremains supreme. But this is not as deci-out war, leaders across the globe, whilebe more concerned with economics andemployment. The question that followsSome scholars have expressed doubtscapita gross domestic product hadreached around US$6,100, compared withJapan’s US$46,000 and America’sIndeed, the nation is changing coursetowards a slower and hopefully moresustainable pace of growth. Moreover,huge obstacles remain. Professor Davidthoritarianism can achieve breakthroughinnovation. The spectre of collapse, likethat of the former Soviet Union, serves toreinforce political inertia, entrenched bypowerful vested interests, including themilitary and large state-owned enter-prises. An assertive nationalism born ofcenturies of victimhood feeds into bellig-Nevertheless, notwithstanding theproductivity of one-fifth of mankind isarelatively low base. The following factsmillion university graduates a year. By2020, it will have 195 million graduates, in western China andto Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Knownas the “third Eurasian land bridge”, theproposed high-speed-rail network willspan 15,000 kilometres, a much shorterand less geopolitically vulnerable journeythan that by sea via the Indian Oceanthrough the Strait of Malacca. A brancharail link from China into Africa.In addition, a project with a 50-yearNicaragua’s Congress to build a 286-with the Pacific via Lake Nicaragua, at acost of US$40 billion. The canal wouldserve the largest container vessels, whichcan be accommodated at Lianyungangthe starting point of a “second Eurasianland bridge”, to run across China to Ka-land, to the markets of the Europeantinues to reach for the money-printingmachine, faith in the greenback is quietlyseeping away. Meanwhile, the renminbispeeds up its trajectory to becoming aleading reserve currency. The days ofNaturally, with an ageing populationprofile, China is likely to grow old beforeit can overcome the so-called “middleincome trap” (by no means a foregoneconclusion), its per capita GDP may wellnot reach beyond that of a moderatelyIn measuring a country’s overallmisleading yardstick. Few know thatMacau ranks among the top five in theits mega-casino economy). That doesn’tmake Macau a world power. But when Andrew Leungsays despite a litany of ills,Chinas connectivity in global production andtransport, as well as the sheer size of itsworkforce and ambition, will ensure its rise 2017. There is very little time left to figure out exactly Alice Wu is a political consultant and a former associatedirector of the Asia Pacific Media Network at UCLAExorcise nowAlice Wusays politicalreform cant proceed ifwe dont address theinner demons that bedevilties between Beijing and democrats anarrow criminal sense.asenior Philippine nationalMike Rowse is managing director of Stanton Chase International and an adjunct professor at theChinese University of Hong Kong.mike@rowse.com.hkFamilies of Manila hostagecrisis victims need closureMike Rowsesays its cynical of politicians to agitate for reprisals Our legislatorsseem to becompeting witheach other tocome up withlunatic schemes