A view from Asia
Recently, I got asked to write a piece, in 300 words, about the global economy. A tall order! Bearing in mind that the target audience isn’t likely to be particularly aware of what’s going on in Asia, I couldn’t assume any prior knowledge. So, I decided to pitch it in a personal narrative format. On the basis of this, I’ve been asked to rewrite it in a longer form, with a more political spin, which I’m working on. Anyhow, here’s the original version (all rights reserved, copyright claimed, yadda yadda yadda!):
It’s 7am in Singapore. The view from my desk looks over a patch of jungle to the sea, flat and glowing gold in the early tropical sunlight. In the distance are palm-fringed islands, part of the Riau archipelago. Through the open window, the birds chirp and whoop; whiffs drift in of the incense being burned by the elderly caretaker at the Taoist altar in the car park, many floors below.
It might be a Joseph Conrad story – apart from the gargantuan cargo ship, stacked high with containers, which floats lazily just offshore. It’s one of dozens that will pass my window today on their way to China, carrying scrap metal, pig carcasses, telecoms equipment, water treatment plants, and Swiss watches: the lowest and highest ends of what Europe produces. Later, the tide will turn, and yet more ships will slip into the channel between Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, heading for the Indian Ocean, and carrying – well, most of what you’re going to buy anytime soon.
Also in view is Singapore’s Art Deco railway station, the terminus of a line that will soon be able to take goods and travelers non-stop through Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, up to China’s Yunnan Province. From there, one way leads to Myanmar and the new Irrawaddy shipping lanes, or on to India. Another way leads up to northern China, and onwards to the Central Asian ‘stans, or the Karakoram highway to Pakistan.
Asia is reconnecting itself, and forming once more into a market that’s been disrupted since the Europeans first arrived. As barriers fall, incomes are rising, creating an internal economy that might someday overtake the EU and US. There is a definite energy and optimism, as people look forward to a better future. Of course, there are less positive sides to this development – but there’s a lot of good news too, and today, it’s pleasant to watch the ships and trains pass on their way.
Sunday, September 23rd, 2007
