S1E113: Veteran diplomat Kishore Mahbubani's career: A front row seat to the Asian century
Bullish on India and Asean - and don’t underestimate America, warns seasoned Singapore diplomat Kishore Mahbubani.
Synopsis: Every third and fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests.
Veteran Singapore diplomat Kishore Mahbubani, never shy about sharing his views, is bullish on India and Asean, believes China will not invade Taiwan unless the island declares independence - and warns that no one should underestimate America.
Europe should also revise its notions of being a global economic powerhouse, and the United Kingdom needs to give up its seat on the UN Security Council so India can take it, contends Mr Mahbubani in conversation with Nirmal Ghosh in this episode of Asian Insider.
Asean has been successful as a regional organisation in preventing Brexit-style breakaways as well as wars in the region - and by 2030 its combined economy will be bigger than Japan’s, Mr Mahbubani contends.
And, while pressure on China will grow regardless of who occupies the White House after America’s presidential election, in terms of tactics Kamala Harris would be predictable, but Donald Trump would not.
Mr Mahbubani, currently a Distinguished Fellow at the Asia Research Institute of the National University of Singapore, is among other things former Singapore Ambassador to the UN, former Permanent Secretary at Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and founding Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He has just published a new book titled “Living the Asian Century : An Undiplomatic Memoir."
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:54 Three geopolitical geniuses - Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Keng Swee, and Rajaratnam
5:32 Southeast Asia has an enormous agency
7:26 Asean will be bigger than Japan by 2030
8:46 'I am extremely bullish about the prospects of India' says Kishore Mahbubani
11:11 Chinese and Indian inventors are responsible for 20% of all US patents
15:04 Wars are draining
16:59 Near-universal consensus in Washington DC that the US has about ten years to stop China from becoming number one
18:44 You can’t predict what Donald Trump is going to do
Produced by: Studio+65
Follow Asian Insider with Nirmal Ghosh every third and fourth Friday of the month here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Follow Nirmal Ghosh on X: https://str.sg/JD7r
Read Nirmal Ghosh's articles: https://str.sg/JbxG
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
---
#STAsianInsider
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free