Fourth Lecture in the Professor Sir David Greenaway Lecture Series

The Eclipsing of the West

The Western-dominated world we have known for the past three hundred years is coming to an end. As America withdraws from its role as enforcer of the international order, other countries are moving in to fill the void. Among them are two rising Asian ‘superstates’. Accounting for more than a third of the world’s population, China and India have the potential to wield enormous economic and political power. China is already vying with the US for the top spot in the global economy, and on some measures has surpassed it. By the middle of the century India may be number two.

How will these countries navigate their growing roles on the world stage? What are the implications for commerce, international law and the fight against climate change?

Vince Cable has followed China and India for decades, first as a professional economist and later as a senior government minister. In his new book Eclipsing the West he draws on the latest data and a lifetime of political and economic experience to offer a compelling account of what the rise of the Asian superstates means for the future and what lies ahead as the international order begins to crumble.