Opinion | Building a strong Asia-Pacific region, to ride out the world's war dangers and natural disasters

By Augustus K. Yeung

INTRODUCTION

The Russia-Ukraine conflict in Eastern Europe has no signs of stopping; it has also sparked the fear of a nuclear war; hurricanes in America and global waves of floods, and forest fires are showing signs of our earth-in-distress. This week one hurricane is hitting the Eastern coast of Canada, and Hurricane Fiona is threatening to wreak havoc in Florida in the U.S.

Shall we leave our world-in-distress unattended?

Who Can Lead the World and Give the United States a Rest?

The United States was once the world's "savior".

However, since World War II, the United States has fought several wars in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan while the United Nations helplessly watched on. These wars have caused death by the millions, and displaced civilians, children without homes, leaving them to cope with lives that would take them a lifetime to heal.

Meanwhile, the United States with its divided attention, strong and wealthy as it is, has left the working-class Americans unattended, creating a backlog of social problems such as drug addiction, homelessness, gun violence, racial tensions, and inability to cope with natural disasters, etc.

Apparently, the United States – once a "liberator" that had freed the Europeans and Asians from the genocidal Nazis and the atrocious Japanese Imperialists – is now on the decline, feeling feeble and full of societal traumas.

Uncle Sam is sick.

America needs to be temporarily relieved of its "duties". Sick as it is, the United States is still militarily the strongest nation on earth; it can afford to take off to concentrate on its domestic problems. Help America to win back the hearts and minds of Americans who are disillusioned and divided with the ways American leaders are leading, or misleading…

In the East, there is one country, China which was a beneficiary of U.S. war aid and efforts; it had suffered enough human hardships. It is now ready and able to assist a well-intentioned but weak U.S. and United Nations.

How to Go About Doing it?

Africa, the "Dark Continent" is hopelessly divided; Europe, having experienced two world wars, is still unstable; the Middle East is too steeped in ethnic wars; leaving Asia, the one continent that can be commissioned or trusted with this mission of keeping peace and creating economic prosperity, given its history of inter-regional migration, trade and people of multi-ethnic mix.

With China, India and ASEAN, concertedly working in harmony, Southeast Asia is most likely to be the first region to rise up and showcase itself as a paradigm for world peace.

China has a long history of having its people migrate to Southeast Asia, creating there a multicultural society that has now become mature enough to coexist among ethnic groups. Singapore is a good example.

In Singapore, racially we see Chinese, Indians, Malaysians and many other people with different ethnic origins coexisting peacefully and prosperously.

Besides, the successful Singaporean model—with Lee Kuan Yew, its founding father as an outstanding statesman—is a good blueprint for the regional building of political stability and economic prosperity.

Entered China, An Influencer in the Asia-Pacific Region

Ignore communism. It is working well in China as a social experiment; it is not meant for exports. The Marxist German ideology has greatly helped to address Chinese problems of family-centeredness, warlord mongering and the general neglect of the oppressed working class, a national dire situation that the humanitarian American missionaries in century past had known only too well.

With Britain and the United States as its symbols of wealth and prosperity, China as a third-world nation has strived single-mindedly. Within several decades, it has reached the goal of "surpassing Britain", and now after three-quarters of a century, the Chinese are hard on the heels of America, studiously and humbly trying to benchmark its success in science and technology.

The world can accuse China of studying and working too hard, but not being ambitious enough to lead the world. This is a mistaken idea!

China is well at ease to be the world's number two; traditionally "sitting on 2, looking up to number 1" is a comfortable belief that China feels good about.

India's Passage to Asia-Pacific, Joining China and ASEAN

At this stage, the Western world may not believe that China is contended with being Number 2; however, bringing India in as an Asia-Pacific power, and joining ASEAN as a regional partner is hopefully one way of warding off Western suspicions.

With India as a partner, other nations in the region may at a later stage join in and be a contributing partner that brings about the era of an "Ascending Asia".

CONCLUSION

The inspiring image of that Norwegian kid chiding the aging adult world for having abused the Earth is unforgettable; it is a stark reminder of our imminent need to address the world's climate issue. And be answerable to the younger generation, to whom the world rightly belongs.

How to render the countries ready for a world-wide effort to counter climate disasters? Stop the war in Eastern Europe. And unite the world.

Sincerely, pay due respect to the United States; acknowledge the fact that it had once saved the world from the Nazis and the Imperial Japanese!

Concertedly, work to keep the UN functioning healthily!

Dissolve NATO; it threatens peace in Europe and Asia!

Meet the world's expectations for global disarmament!

China, India and ASEAN countries can first capitalize on this Peace Initiative. This tripartite organization can actualize the era of "Asian century".

With a politically stable and economically prosperous Asia, the situation and the sentiment in the global world will change for the better.

With disarmament, there will be enough resources to build Asia, America, and Africa, etc.

Before the end of the 21st century, our aging adult leaders should be able to give back a healthy Earth to the next generation. Their life may be characterized by world peace.

 

The author is a freelance writer; formerly Adjunct Lecturer, taught MBA Philosophy of Management, and International Strategy, and online columnist of 3-D Corner (HKU SPACE), University of Hong Kong.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.

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