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Peace and Prosperity in Asia
Asia is in
a unique position in the world today in both economic and political parameters.
Economically, three of the four biggest economies in the world by purchasing
power parity (PPP) valuation of GDP are in Asia – China, India and Japan,
ranked 2nd, 3rd and 4th, respectively in 2012.
South Korea and Indonesia also ranked 12th and 15th in
GDP size.
Among the
fastest growing economies in the world are also in Asia, the five countries mentioned
above except Japan, and the
industrializing or emerging markets like Taiwan, Thailand, Pakistan, Malaysia,
Philippines, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Politically,
there is slow but continued improvement towards democratization and away from
despotism. But there are some serious threats to peace in the continent. Among
the recent negative events that developed
are the following.
One, North
Korea has cut off military hotlines with South Korea and prepared for a "situation
where a war may break out any moment.” Earlier,
the new South Korean President, Park Geun-Hye declared, "For the
North, the only path to survival lies in stopping provocations and threats,
abandoning its nuclear weaponry and missiles.”
Two, Vietnam
has accused China of opening fire on a Vietnamese fishing boat at the disputed
Paracel Island. China has denied the accusation and tension between the two
governments has renewed. In early March this year, China announced that it has
increased its defense spending to US$119 billion.
Three, the
on-going territorial dispute between China and Japan over Japan-controlled
islands in the East China Sea, known as “Senkaku” in Tokyo and “Diaoyu” in
Beijing. Both sides have sent battle ships and sometimes fighter jets, although
these mainly served as “show of force” and no incidence of actual shooting has
occurred.
Four,
on-going Philippines-China territorial dispute over small islands in the South
China Sea or West Philippine Sea, depending on which beach one is standing on.
Recently, Japan donated 10 new patrol ships to the Philippine Coast Guard
valued at $11 million.
Five, the
India-Pakistan tension over Kashmir remains unresolved for many years now.
Early this year, Indian Kashmir police instructed the citizens to prepare for a
nuclear war.
The list
can extend showing political and defense instability in the region and
continent. Nonetheless, no actual serious attacks have been committed, so the
cause for peace has generally prevailed.
This
writer is inclined to believe that many of those reported tensions are more
exaggerated than the actual tension. With global commerce and global mobility
of people rising every year, it is no longer possible to bomb and inflict
military casualties on citizens and civilian structures of the target cities
and countries alone, but will affect also
companies and expat personnel from many other countries.
These
days, if one will bomb one big city like Tokyo or Beijing, Delhi, Seoul, Taipei
or Manila, it will also bomb the
businesses and nationals of almost all major economies around the world. In
short, you bomb one big city, you declare war to all other countries, directly
or indirectly.
This alone
will restrain the hands of whoever have the control over the buttons of those
armaments of destruction. The people who will condemn them if they do so will
not only be the residents of the affected cities or country, but even their own
countrymen who have long-term trade and investment interests in all major
cities around Asia and the world.
Because of
global commerce and mobility of people, any World War II type of scenario is
more of illusionary than real. It will be prodded more by lobby groups in the
security and military establishments, like certain sectors of the academe and
media, and the suppliers of those armaments.
Free trade
and free people mobility is the best policy to deter war and destruction, and
achieve peace and economic prosperity for the people of Asia and the rest of
the world.
In a
global “Freedom to Trade” campaign launched in March 2009 by the Atlas Economic
Research Foundation and the International Policy Network, these words
reverberate and will remain useful today and tomorrow:
“Two hundred and fifty years ago, Montesquieu observed that ‘Peace is the natural effect of trade. Two nations who differ with each other become reciprocally dependent; for if one has an interest in buying, the other has an interest in selling; and thus their union is founded on their mutual necessities.’
Trade’s most valuable product is peace. Trade promotes peace, in part, by uniting different peoples in a common culture of commerce – a daily process of learning others’ languages, social norms, laws, expectations, wants, and talents. Trade promotes peace by encouraging people to build bonds of mutually beneficial cooperation…. trade unites the economic interests… of the peoples of all nations who trade with other.”
Peace and
prosperity for the people of Asia and the rest of the world.
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See also:
Business 360 2: Free market means free individuals, December 28, 2012
Business 360 3: Fiscal Cliff and Government Irresponsibility, January 23, 2013
Business 360 4: Brownouts and Power Deregulation, February 26, 2013
Business Bureaucracy 7: Penalizing Small Businesses, February 01, 2013
Business 360 5: Reducing Construction and Electricity Bureaucracies, March 14, 2013
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