Writer
Kishore Mahbubani
Kishore Mahbubani is a distinguished fellow at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore, whose books include The Asian 21st Century and Has China Won?. And the author of ‘Has the West Lost It?’
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Asia, say no to NATO: The Pacific has no need of the destructive militaristic culture of the Atlantic alliance
Something very dangerous happened when the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) held its meeting in Brussels. In its communique after the meeting on June 14, 2021, it identified China as a “systemic challenge” to areas “relevant to Alliance security”. Continue reading »
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The United States, China, and the Future of the Global Order
“Happy to have engaged in a provocative yet always civil dialogue with the famous China expert Orville Schell at the Asia Society in New York on Thursday, 21st March. Hope you will enjoy it too.” Continue reading »
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The Global South: A new North Star
We live in surprising times. Continue reading »
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America can’t stop China’s rise
There’s little doubt that the American government has decided to slow China’s economic rise, most notably in the fields of technological development. To be sure, the Biden administration denies that these are its goals. Janet Yellen said on April 20, 2023, “China’s economic growth need not be incompatible with U.S. economic leadership. The United States remains the Continue reading »
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The United States faces a critical choice
Does it want to maintain its “primacy” or improve the livelihood of its people? Continue reading »
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Australia will be left stranded as a lonely Western outpost in Asia
It is understandable that Australian leaders may feel insecure, even paranoid, about Australia’s future in the Asian twenty-first century. As Western power recedes from the world – especially from East Asia – Australia and New Zealand will be left stranded as lonely Western outposts in Asia. Continue reading »
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Time for the West to rethink goal of total defeat for Russia in Ukraine
As the war drags on, sympathy is growing for Russia as the underdog fighting the behemoth North American and EU economies. The West would get more support for its cause in Ukraine if it is seen to be pushing for either a peace proposal or a fair compromise on Ukraine. Continue reading »
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What’s next for Xi’s China?
The Western media have done Xi a great favour: they have bestowed upon him low expectations. Many Western observers, including thoughtful ones, believe that the great China growth story is over, because China is now ruled by an incompetent and isolated leader. Xi will shatter their expectations. Continue reading »
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Is China Expansionist?
China’s emergence as a great power has prompted many fears that it will start to become aggressive and militaristic. But while European powers have acted this way historically, China’s own long history tells us that it wields power in a very different manner. Continue reading »
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Where are the peacemakers to end the war in Ukraine? ( A repost from 22 March 2022)
We used to have globally respected statesmen, including people like Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan and Desmond Tutu. Many of them were members of a council of “The Elders” which has tried to provide calm and sensible advice from time to time. Clearly, we seem to lack such distinguished statesmen today. Continue reading »
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Why the 21st Century will be an Asian one
Most thoughtful observers know in their gut that the 21st century will be the Asian century. Data backs this up. Continue reading »
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Kishore Mahbubani: Can America lose to China?
The real danger of the demonization of China is that it leads even thoughtful Americans to believe that an open society like America has many natural advantages over a closed autocratic system like China’s. By framing it in this way, Americans cannot even conceive of the possibility of losing out to China. Continue reading »
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Asia, say no to NATO: The Pacific has no need of the destructive militaristic culture of the Atlantic alliance
Something very dangerous happened a few weeks ago when the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) held its meeting in Brussels. In its communique after the meeting on June 14, it identified China as a “systemic challenge” to areas “relevant to Alliance security”. Continue reading »
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Kishore Mahbubani and George Yeo discuss US-China competition in Asia/Pacific
The most dangerous thing that is happening in the world is a sharp divide in the perceptions of what is really happening in China. The dominant view in the west is that the Chinese people are clearly suffering under the ruthless Communist Party leadership of China. Continue reading »
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Biden should summon the courage to reverse course on China
If Kennan were alive today, he would be shocked to see the US spending $5tn on unnecessary wars, while the bottom 50 percent of Americans have seen their incomes stagnate for decades. There is a “sea of despair” among white working classes. Continue reading »
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Attempts to build a new anti-China alliance will fail
A massive economic ecosystem centred on China is evolving in the region. Yet Australia is playing itself out of the game. It dug itself into a hole when it humiliated China by calling for an international inquiry into Covid-19. All of Asia is watching to see who will blink first, and it is unlikely to Continue reading »
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BBC HARDtalk interview: Has Covid-19 weakened the West?
Singaporean Diplomat Kishore Mahbubani discusses how the current pandemic has shifted the global balance. Continue reading »
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A ‘yellow peril’ revival fuelling Western fears of China’s rise (East Asia Forum 5.6.2019) REPOST
Most Western portrayals of China’s emergence as a great power lack balance. They tend to highlight negative dimensions of China’s rise but omit the positive dimensions. Continue reading »
