Professor Kishore Mahbubani, former Singaporean Ambassador to the United Nations, President of the UN Security Council, and Founding Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, delivered a luncheon lecture on August 27, 2025, titled “A Declining West, a Rising East: How Will the World Achieve a New Balance?”
Professor Li Cheng, Founding Director of @HKUCCCW , gave the introduction. He noted that geopolitics goes beyond binaries, and that “rise and fall” is often relative, with a non-linear timeline. The discussion was moderated by Professor Daniel A. Bell, Chair of Political Theory at HKU’s Faculty of Law and CCCW Distinguished Fellow.
In his keynote, Ambassador Mahbubani analysed the century-defining trends of a relatively declining West and a rising East. He argued that while Western strengths remain significant, the global share of influence is shifting, calling for humility in sharing power and responsibility. He urged East–West cooperation to rebuild a more inclusive international order, particularly on cross-border challenges such as climate action, technology governance, and development finance. He also reflected on themes from his 2024 memoir, Living the Asian Century.
During the Q&A, Ambassador Mahbubani addressed questions on reforming global institutions (including the UN Security Council), Asia’s normative leadership, and practical pathways to avoid zero-sum rivalry. The Forum drew over 140 participants from the diplomatic corps, business community, international organizations, academia, and the media.
The Fullerton Forum Lectures Series is co-organized by the Centre on Contemporary China and the World (CCCW) at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), and the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, with support from Sino Group.
Source: HKU CCCW – A Declining West, a Rising East: Achieving a New Global Balance