Evolution of Southeast Asia in the emerging world order

MAHBUBANI SAID THAT THE 21ST CENTURY WILL BE THE ASIAN CENTURY BECAUSE THE ASIANS HAVE REDISCOVERED THEIR CULTURAL CONFIDENCE IN A DRAMATIC WAY

- HT Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Kishore Mahbubani is widely regarded as one of Asia's most well-known diplomats, commentators, and strategic analysts. Having grown up in poverty in Singapore in the 1950s as the child of Sindhi immigrants, however, there was nothing preordained about his success. Over the course of the second half of the 20th century, he would go on to become one of the most recognizable and revered diplomats of his generation.

Mahbubani chronicles his life journey in a new memoir titled, Living the Asian Century: An Undiplomatic Memoir. He spoke about his remarkable life on last week's episode of Grand Tamasha, a weekly podcast on Indian politics and policy co-produced by HT and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

During his multi-decade-long diplomatic career, Mahbubani served in Cambodia, Malaysia, and the United States. He was permanent secretary at the Singapore ministry of foreign affairs and twice served as the country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He later served as founding dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.