Is economic power shifting to the East?
Ciaran Ryan moderates a discussion between Michael Power, strategist for asset manager Ninety One, Jakkie Cilliers, founder of the Institute for Security Studies, and political commentator Moeletsi Mbeki. Michael Power says China will surpass the United States in economic size within the next few years – a trend accelerated by the coronavirus outbreak – and will in fact add 25% to its GDP in the next 3-4 years, while the US will remain relatively stagnant. Jakkie Cilliers says we should look out for the post-China story, which is India’s emergence as a global economic power. Moeletsi Mbeki agrees that China has grown phenomenally in the last 40 years, but asks: “So what?” Regions rise and fall in the economic terms, but we should be careful what lessons we learn from an authoritarian China that rides roughshod over its neighbours and trading partners.