
The world today is at a crossroads. We’re seeing an escalation in conflicts and wars – Russia and Ukraine, and the genocide in Gaza are just a couple of prominent examples.
We’re seeing the rise of China as an economic powerhouse and with that, a rise in tensions between the US and China. But what do these shifts mean for the world and for Southeast Asia?
BFM speaks to Prof Jeffrey Sachs, a US economist and president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He has been a key advisor to numerous heads of state and governments, including in Latin America, Africa and Asia, providing guidance on economic reforms and development strategies. He is also a passionate critic of US foreign policy.
They discuss:
- The Doomsday Clock (by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists) and how it is inching closer to midnight
- Some history and context for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
- The slow decline of the American empire and a shift to a multipolar world, driven by the rise of China and Asia as a whole
- The key divide between China and the US. When we look at the post World War Two era and the period during the Cold War, the divide was between a free flowing capitalist system governed by Western financial institutions versus Marxist-Leninism that focused on strong central planning and closing off the economy to Western investments. But today, even countries that carry red flags are part of the global capitalist system. What’s the differentiating factor in terms of development theory and practice?
• While Asean is friendly with China and recognises its significance and the importance of South-South solidarity, there is also genuine concern about sovereignty and the South China Sea. How should Asean manage China?
Produced and presented by: Dashran Yohan/BFM
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