Globalization and Modernization in Asia

Author: Jiang Guishi, Yao University, Wang Tai
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-06-01
Features: This book is the final outcome of the National Social Science Fund project "Research on Globalization and the Modernization Process in Asia." The main purpose of this book is to conduct a comprehensive study of the modernization process in Asia from the perspective of globalization. Globalization is not only an objective trend in the current world economic development but also a hot topic in international academia. The term "globalization" has become one of the most frequently used words in various media, and research on globalization has produced an endless stream of findings, making it seem as if there is no end to the literature on the subject. For any country, region, ethnic group, or even any individual to survive in the current world, they must face globalization, integrate into it, and adapt to it. Modernization is also a major trend in the development of the world today. Since the modern era began, the process of world modernization has gone through stages of incubation, preparation, initiation, and continuous development, and has now become a global trend. Looking around the world today, developed countries have, after post-war reforms and adjustments, taken the lead in entering post-modernization society. The vast majority of developing countries have also been eager to catch up and have been vigorously pursuing a catch-up modernization model. It can be said that no country does not regard the achievement of modernization as a development goal, no decision-maker in any country does not regard the realization of modernization as a basic policy, and no people in any country do not pursue and yearn for modernization as a beautiful ideal and prospect. The modernization of Asia in the world process of modernization started later than Europe and belongs to the latecomers in modernization, with extremely uneven development and frequent fluctuations and interruptions. However, after World War II, it has developed into the center of the third wave of world modernization, especially with the economic takeoff in East Asia, which has created a world-renowned "Asian miracle" and become one of the most dynamic regions in the world in terms of economic development. Although it suffered a heavy blow from the East Asian financial crisis at the end of the 20th century, after self-adjustment and reform, the East Asian economy has recovered rapidly. Today, the modernization of countries in Asia is in full swing, becoming a shining highlight in the process of world modernization development. Globalization, modernization, and Asian modernization are three major, noteworthy, unavoidable, and significant trends and trends in the world's development today, with profound internal consistency and interactive relationships. From the perspective of the macro world historical process, studying globalization and examining Asian modernization through the lens of globalization helps to interpret the models, paths, characteristics, and laws of Asian modernization. This is also one of the main purposes of the authors of this book in choosing to study Asian modernization from the perspective of globalization. The significance of this book lies in organically combining research on globalization and the study of the modernization process in Asia, examining the modernization process in Asia from the perspective of the world economic development trend of globalization. Through the study of the meaning, driving forces, historical process, effects, and current development trends of globalization, the interrelationship between globalization and Asian modernization is revealed; by exploring the basic experience and lessons of the modernization process of countries in Asia after World War II, the models, paths, basic laws, and characteristics of Asian modernization are revealed, and the development status and prospects of regional economic integration in Asia under the background of globalization are discussed in particular. This research perspective and methodology can further promote the study of globalization issues, further promote the study of the process of Asian modernization, and further examine Asian regional economic integration from the perspectives of globalization and modernization. At the same time, the research on this project is also of important theoretical and practical significance for the vast majority of Asian countries, especially for China's reform and opening-up, modernization construction, and participation in the regional and world integration process. The main contents of this book are as follows.
From a macro perspective of world history, it argues for the connotation, driving forces, process, and effects of globalization. It holds that although globalization encompasses economic, political, social, and cultural aspects, what is currently discussed under globalization mainly refers to economic globalization. The meaning of economic globalization is the continuous deepening of the market economy under the impetus of the development of productive forces, especially technological revolutions, which is the acceleration and expansion of the flow and exchange of factors of production, goods, and services on a global scale, thereby continuously expanding economic exchanges between countries, enhancing interdependence, and forming an inseparable organic whole of the global economy. The fundamental driving force behind economic globalization is the development of productive forces. Economic globalization is neither an ancient phenomenon nor a new phenomenon that emerged only in the past two decades. It has already gone through a history of several hundred years of development. It has gone through four stages in general. From the late 15th century to the mid-18th century was the preparation stage; from the second half of the 18th century to the second half of the 19th century was the initiation stage; from the late 19th century to the early 20th century to the end of World War II was the formation stage; and after World War II was the new stage of economic globalization. Economic globalization is the flow and allocation of factors of production on a global scale, which, generally speaking, is beneficial to the development of the world economy and social progress. However, economic globalization is also a double-edged sword, bringing both opportunities and benefits and challenges and harms to countries. Due to the gap between developed and developing countries in terms of economy and technology, and because economic globalization is carried out under the leadership of developed countries, it is generally beneficial to developed countries with fewer disadvantages, while developing countries have fewer benefits and more disadvantages. However, it is by no means true, as some people claim, that developing countries cannot escape the misfortunes brought by globalization. This is because, on the one hand, due to the law of uneven economic development, advancement and backwardness are not absolute but can be transformed, and the key for developing countries lies in whether they can adapt to the historical trend, seize opportunities, and adopt the right strategies to truly develop themselves. On the other hand, economic globalization has also brought opportunities and favorable conditions for catching up for developing countries. Since their modernization started later, they can learn from and absorb the experience and lessons of developed countries, avoid detours, develop and introduce advanced technologies themselves, produce "latecomer effects," and achieve leapfrog development.
Second, examining the world modernization and Asian modernization processes from the perspective of globalization, placing world modernization and Asian modernization in the context of globalization. From the perspective of macro historical studies, examining the process of world history since the beginning of the modern era reveals that it is not only a history of the incubation, initiation, development, and continuous realization of the world modernization process but also a history of the preparation, initiation, development, and preliminary formation of the process of economic globalization. Economic globalization and modernization are processes that develop synchronously, promote each other, interact, and mutually drive each other. Essentially, economic globalization is an inevitable result of modernization and a reaction to the expansion of modernity. The core of modernization is industrialization, where industry and services dominate society and play a leading role. Economic globalization, on the other hand, mainly refers to the historical process of horizontal exchanges, interactions, and continuous strengthening among countries and regions in the world. Due to the innate tendency of industrialism to expand outward, the process of modernization in one country initiating and spreading to other regions has led to the initiation and spread of the globalization process. Examining Asian modernization from the perspective of globalization means examining it from the whole of the world with a global vision. Specifically, it means examining Asian modernization from the perspective of historical vertical and horizontal development, studying Asian modernization with Marxist "diversity in unity" historical perspective, and interpreting Asian modernization with a combination of macro and micro methods.
Third, discussing the models, characteristics, and development trends of modernization in various regions and major countries in Asia. Overall, Asian modernization, while closely linked to Western modernization, also has significant differences: in terms of modernization development paths and models, Western modernization is basically endogenous, while Asian modernization is exogenous; in terms of economic operation mechanisms, Western modernization is a free-market economy, while Asian modernization is a market economy under government leadership; in terms of cultural subjects, the cultural subject of Western modernization is Christian culture, while the cultural subject of Asian modernization is Confucian culture, Hindu culture, and Islamic culture. The modernization paths and models of modernization in various regions and countries in Asia also have their own characteristics. East Asia is the center of the third wave of world modernization that swept the world after World War II. The resurgence of Japan, the takeoff of the four Asian tigers, the catch-up efforts of ASEAN, and the rapid progress of China's socialist modernization construction have constituted the main melody of East Asian modernization and have created a world-renowned "Asian miracle" and "Asian model." The "Asian model" is a set of economic and political systems and modernization development strategies adopted by East Asian countries and regions based on their own specific conditions. The core of its economic system is industrialization, the main feature of its political system is government leadership, and its cultural subject is Confucian culture, with a development strategy of catch-up modernization. Although the "Asian model" was challenged by the 1997 East Asian financial crisis, as successful experience accumulated over decades in East Asia, it has not become outdated. The East Asian development model shows that in the face of increasing globalization of the world economy, developing countries can independently leverage their advantages to create modernization paths different from the past. Of course, it must be pointed out that it cannot provide a ready-made and unchanging development model for all developing countries and regions. Moreover, even from the perspective of their own development, any development model must uphold the spirit of keeping pace with the times and continuously improving and developing itself. At the beginning of the 21st century, in response to the challenges of globalization, the pace of regional economic integration in East Asia has accelerated significantly. The effective operation of the "10+3" mechanism has given rise to a development model of a large-scale East Asian free trade area. The major South Asian country, India, has been struggling on the path to modernization but has been implementing comprehensive reforms since the 1990s in the face of the challenges of economic globalization, leading to rapid growth in India's economic strength and a significant enhancement of its comprehensive national strength. The rise of India has become a fact that can be anticipated. Over the past 50 years, India has formed a modernization model with its own characteristics: a socialist-style mixed economy in terms of the economy, import-substitution industrialization strategy, and green revolution in agriculture; a Western-style parliamentary democracy in terms of political structure, left over from the colonial rule of the United Kingdom; and in terms of culture, promoting secularism based on the promotion of excellent traditional Indian culture, emphasizing equal coexistence of races, castes, and religions, and vigorously developing education and improving the country's technological level. The new wave of economic globalization has posed challenges to South Asia and India, prompting countries like India in South Asia to change their previous indifferent attitude toward regional cooperation and explore feasible ways for regional cooperation.
Fourth, discussing the current status of Asian integration and the development trend of Asia moving toward intercontinental unification, proposing that "cooperation" and "win-win" in Asia are not only the trend of globalization and Asian modernization development but also the aspiration of the people of most Asian countries. Asia is the largest continent in the world in terms of area, population, and number of countries, with a long history and splendid culture, and greater diversity in social development. However, as a whole, Asia has not played its role in the world today, especially after the 1980s and 1990s when globalization and regional economic integration developed rapidly. The process of regional economic integration in Asia has lagged behind that of Europe and the Americas, and even that of Africa. The so-called "Asian union" and "Asian integration" are often mocked as "beautiful fantasies." Does Asia lack the conditions to achieve unification? Can Asia really not achieve unification? As a member of Asia and the largest country in Asia—China—social scientists have a historical sense of mission and responsibility that drives us to delve into the root of this question. It was precisely after this project was approved that the integration of Asia has taken a turn for the better. Through the joint efforts of most countries in Asia, the Boao Asia Forum, an organization led by Asians, dedicated to discussing Asian affairs from the perspective of Asian interests and viewpoints, and aimed at enhancing exchanges and cooperation among Asian countries and between Asian countries and other regions of the world, was born in 2001. Since its establishment, the Boao Asia Forum has played a significant role in accelerating Asian regional integration. Most countries in Asia have vigorously promoted domestic reforms and opening-up policies, leading to increasingly close trade and investment ties between countries, as well as the gradual development of bilateral, regional, subregional, and cross-regional economic cooperation. East Asian regional cooperation (10+3) has entered the substantive stage, with China actively advancing East Asian cooperation with ASEAN through the "10+3" mechanism. In October 2003, China officially joined the "Treaty of Southeast Asian Friendship and Cooperation" and signed a joint declaration with ASEAN to establish a "strategic partnership of peace and prosperity." Internal economic integration within ASEAN, cooperation in the Mekong River Basin, and cooperation in the Tumen River Basin are all subregional cooperation initiatives in progress. Since 1985, the South Asian Regional Cooperation Association (SARC) has been established, and although the pace of integration has not been as expected, the reconciliation between India and Pakistan since 2003 has provided the necessary conditions for regional economic cooperation. In January 2004, the 12th summit meeting of SARC adopted and signed a free trade agreement. The leaders of the seven South Asian countries also hope to eventually unify their currencies and form a mutually beneficial and prosperous unified market like the European Union. As a result, regional economic cooperation in South Asia has entered full gear. Additionally, China-Middle East cooperation is on the horizon, with the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) continuously exploring new approaches for economic and trade cooperation between Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries and hoping to build the Eurasian Bridge and rebuild the "Silk Road." At the same time, South Asia's major country, India, is implementing an "eastward policy" and exploring the feasibility of establishing a "10+1" free trade area with ASEAN. Cross-regional cooperation initiatives such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and the East Asia-Latin America Forum are also actively and fruitfully advancing. Today, realizing Asian economic integration and achieving "win-win" and "multi-win" through Asian unification has transformed from a good wish into a broad consensus among Asian countries. "Strengthening cooperation, promoting development, achieving win-win, and realizing the rise of Asia" are the necessary path for the rise of Asia and the fundamental interests of the people of Asia. A "stable, peaceful, developing, and cooperative" Asia is standing tall in the East. Therefore, if our choice to establish this project was mainly driven by the hope of achieving Asian unification and win-win, then at the completion of this project, Asia has already begun to show this pleasing situation. In this sense, this project has a certain degree of frontier and foresight. Since the end of the 20th century, scholars both at home and abroad have continuously predicted that the 21st century would be the "century of Asia," "Asia will rise," and that the East will replace the West as the "center of the world." Those who proposed these views included both Easterners and Asians, as well as Westerners and Americans. Here, regardless of whether these claims are true or not, it is an undeniable fact that Asia, as a rapidly developing economy, is rising and will occupy an increasingly important place in the world's economic development in the new century. Asia will inevitably play its due role in the world today with its unique historical and cultural traditions and superior natural conditions, especially in the face of the rapid development of globalization and modernization. An "Asian" vision of a new Asia that Asians hope to see will stand tall in the world of globalization. As globalization, regionalization, and modernization develop, Asia will inevitably move toward a large-scale regional unification. According to the interactive relationship between regionalization and modernization, the development of Asian integration will bring prosperity to Asia and further promote the process of Asian modernization. This is also the basic conclusion that this book ultimately draws.
In summary, the study of Asian modernization is still a relatively weak field in China's academia. Most writings on Asian modernization in the market are conducted from the perspective of subregional modernization in Asia (such as East Asian, South Asian, and West Asian modernization) or national modernization (such as Chinese and Indian modernization). Representative works include: Luo Rongqi, editor-in-chief, "East Asian Modernization: New Models and New Experiences," which studies East Asian modernization; Zhang Yunling, editor-in-chief, "Perspectives on Asian Modernization," which mainly studies modernization in the Asia-Pacific region, or mainly studies East Asian modernization; Peng Shuzhi, editor-in-chief, "Islam and Middle Eastern Modernization," which mainly studies modernization in the Middle East (including West Asia); Lin Chengjie, editor-in-chief, "The Development Path of Indian Modernization," which studies the modernization of the major South Asian country, India; and Chen Fengjun, "East Asia and India: Two Models of Asian Modernization," which compares East Asian and Indian modernization. In addition, there are works such as Jiang Lihua and Yang Yanshu, "The Historical Process of East Asian Modernization," Chen Decheng, editor-in-chief, "Middle Eastern Political Modernization," and Yu Heping, editor-in-chief, "The Process of Chinese Modernization." These works are all significant contributions to the study of subregional or national modernization in Asia and have played an important role in laying the foundation and promoting the study of world modernization and Asian modernization in China. At the same time, they have also provided many beneficial insights and strong support for the research of this project. However, there are still no writings that truly take Asia as a whole and study its modernization development process from the perspective of the entire Asian region, or examine Asian modernization from the perspective of globalization. This is also the original intention of this book or, to be more precise, this book aims to fill a gap in this area of research in academia. Of course, examining Asian modernization from the perspective of globalization is, in any case, a major topic, and frankly speaking, the author is truly unable to undertake such a significant task. However, as social scientists, the sense of mission and responsibility drives us to attempt this challenging work. As for how well the project is done, only experts and readers can judge. This book organically combines the study of globalization and the modernization process in Asia, examining the modernization process in Asia from the perspective of economic globalization as a world economic development perspective. Through the study of the meaning, driving forces, historical process, effects, and development trends of globalization, the interrelationship between globalization and Asian modernization is revealed; by exploring the basic experience and lessons of the modernization process of countries in Asia after World War II, the models, paths, basic laws, and characteristics of Asian modernization are revealed; and on this basis, the development status and prospects of regional economic integration in Asia under the background of globalization are discussed in particular, proposing that "cooperation" and "win-win" in Asia are not only the trend of globalization and Asian modernization development but also the aspiration of the people of most Asian countries.