Eight significant megatrends are reshaping the economies, governments, and cultures of Asia, transforming it into a commonwealth of nations that will rival the West in power and influence.
1. FROM NATION-STATES TO NETWORKS. Leaving nationalism behind, Asian entrepreneurs are using greater economic cooperation to create the new Asian prosperity.
2. From Traditions to Options. Their cultural heritages remain strong, but Asians are expressing greater individualism and diversity.
3. From Export-Led to Consumer-Driven. Asian economies once dependent on what they could export are now adding the power of consumer spending by a greatly expanding middle class.
4. From Government-Controlled to Market-Driven. Throughout Asia, privatization, deregulation, and trade liberalization are unleashing the power of unfettered market economies.
5. From Farms to Supercities. The rapid urbanization of Asia is already well under way, creating major new labor resources and the world’s biggest and tallest cities.
6. From Labor-Intensive Industry to High Technology. Asia is moving quickly to develop the world’s most sophisticated technological infrastructure.
7. From Male Dominance to the Emergence of Women. Women as entrepreneurs, voters, and consumers are now massively participating in all aspects of Asian life.
8. From West to East. The global center of economic, political, and cultural gravity is shifting from West to East.
