Speaking at the Firstpost Ideas Pod at the Raisina Dialogue 2025, Kishore Mahbubani, Distinguished Fellow, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore, discussed the evolving “Asian Century” and its implications on global politics.
In conversation with Harsh V. Pant, Vice President, Observer Research Foundation, India, Mahbubani criticised the rise of political figures like Donald Trump, calling it a “failure of the Western liberal consensus.” He also explained China’s growing assertiveness as a global power and its potential future actions in the region. Highlighting China’s economic transformation, he stated, “In 1980, the combined economy of the European Union was 10 times the size of China. Today, they are about the same. By 2050, Europe will be half the size of China.”