As a dangerous game of budget roulette unfolds in the U.S., it behooves all concerned Americans and their representatives to remember that the world continues its rapid evolution and will not wait for Washington to get its act together. This is particularly true in the Asia-Pacific. With respect to the most dynamic and important region of the globe, the insights of Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew apply perfectly: “Americans seem to think that Asia is like a ‘movie’ and that you can freeze developments out here whenever the U.S. becomes intensely involved elsewhere …. It does not work like that. If the United States wants to substantially affect the strategic evolution of Asia, it cannot come and go.” Presidents and prime ministers, influencers and investors listen to Lee’s pithy assertions because he has a formidable track record in strategic analysis and international relations. But one does not need his intelligence or experience to see that the Asia-Pacific is arguably the most vital region beyond North America for U.S. interests in what might be termed the “Asia-Pacific Century.
Source: Wall Street Journal