The U. S. Can Out-Charm China

Warning: this post is obviously political. Please skip reading it if you have little temperment for this topic. It is, however, about the future -- which is where I happen to live, as an investor.

Fareed Zakaria discusses, in this pithy article, the interests of China, the US, Asia, and the world.

Every insider knows that the key to power in Washington is being at the meeting. It's an ancient political rule: if you're not at the meeting, no one will protect your interests and your agenda. Well, there's going to be a big meeting in Asia next week, and for the first time at such a high-level governmental conclave, the United States will not be present. The East Asia Summit, being hosted in Kuala Lumpur on Dec. 12, should serve as a wake-up call for Washington. While we focus our attention daily on Iraq and the Gaza Strip, the 21st century is going to be shaped in Asia. Already India and China make up 40 percent of the world's working-age population. In 20 years, it is likely that three of the world's four biggest economies will be in Asia. And all three — Japan, China and India — will be at the meeting in Kuala Lumpur next week...