The Asian side of the world

Asia and the Pacific, an immense region, both new and old, in which two thirds
of the world lives. A region of superlatives, exceptions, China, continually
facing disasters and risks from its past, India, a continent of its own,
Japan, archipelago of the future. It is a region that is attracting global
growth and becoming the centre of the world. Who could have predicted that the
GDP of Asia and the Pacific would be equal to that of the European Union? And
what will tomorrow bring? This compilation gives an overview of Asia's world,
bringing together roughly a hundred texts written by researchers and
specialists and that have been published on Asia and the Pacific Network's
website (CNRS/FMSH) between 2002 and 2011. These works covering the humanities
and social science recount the past, tell us of the future and illustrate the
complexity of Asia and the Pacific through its flaws, strengths and
challenges. They reveal the profound roots and depth of the dynamism of these
new powers that could soon take over the future of humanity. Numerous
researchers and academics specialising in contemporary Asia and the Pacific
are bringing into light many aspects of this great and inevitable shift in the
world.