Sharing a Future in Asia: Illusion or Reality?

The discourse on sharing a future in Asia has been driven by a number of factors that can be summed up under the rubric of Asian triumphalism . Why has Asian triumphalism been on the rise in the last few decades? Five inter¬related propositions or theses can be advanced to explain this phenomenon. They are the great Asian miracle thesis; the rise of the middle class and middle class revolution; the so-called flat world thesis, the Easternisation of the West thesis, and the Asianisation of Asia thesis. However, while Asians can be proud of Asia s success, Asian triumphalism needs to be evaluated critically and objectively. To share a future in Asia, one has to be more sober and all-sided, and should not be carried away by exuberant triumphalism. We must also examine the other side of Asia, and enhance the capacity for social learning.