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Welcome to Our September 2008 Issue

Dear Reader,

One of the iconic images of modern Asia is the ubiquitous construction crane. In all directions in countless cities throughout the region, these instruments of architectural aspiration rise into the skies, symbolizing the growing prosperity of Asia and the hopes that are invested in its cities.

But whether viewed from the ground or from the sky, all is not well with Asia’s cities. From worsening air pollution and intolerable traffic congestion to festering slums and poor drinking water, the challenges of managing urban Asia are daunting, and only set to grow. The Asian Development Bank estimates that some 1.1 billion people will migrate to Asia’s already teeming cities over the next two decades. The time to grapple with how best to manage urban Asia is now.

We are pleased to announce that in this issue of Global Asia, we have joined forces with the World Economic Forum to produce a package of essays that explore the nature of the challenges facing cities in this region. To be sure, many of these challenges are faced by cities everywhere, but with Asia’s rapid economic growth, there are both special risks and opportunities. As Paul A. Oliver, head of the World Economic Forum’s SlimCity initiative says in this issue, “Asia’s cities are at the forefront of the global challenges of urbanization.” Included in this package of stories is an exclusive interview with Seoul Mayor Se-hoon Oh, who presides over one of the Asia’s great mega-cities.

Elsewhere, with the US presidential elections looming, in this issue we feature a debate over the foreign policy priorities of Democratic candidate Barack Obama and Republican candidate John McCain. What American voters decide will have clear implications for Asia. We also present a fascinating graphical representation of research by the East- West Center on precisely why Asia matters for America, as business with Asia reaches deep into the American landscape and American lives. We look at NATO’s growing interest in Asia, and raise the question whether a closer relationship is worth exploring. Turning to Malaysia, we look behind the recent political earthquakes that threaten to shake the ruling coalition’s decades-old hold on power in one of Southeast Asia’s most prosperous economies.We also delve into Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s surprising difficulties in his relations with the rest of Asia, following the high expectations engendered by his election last November. The recent mass protests in South Korea, meanwhile, provide an opportunity to uncover an intriguing example of how the Internet can reshape the dynamics of politics in Asia’s most wired nation. Finally, we provide reviews of a series of compelling books on the need for a new regional order and the continuing challenge of Islamic fundamentalism.

As always, don’t hesitate to tell us what you think by emailing us at editorial@globalasia.org.

Sincerely yours,

Chung-in Moon, Editor-in-Chief

David Plott, Managing Editor

September 2008
Vol.3 No.3

Finding the Thread:
Managing Urban Asia Letter to Readers
Cover Story

Finding the Thread: Managing Urban Asia

With the population of Asia’s already teeming cities expected to grow by more than a billion people over the next 20 years, the challenges facing municipal leaders is daunting. From protecting the environment to promoting innovation, cities are at the forefront of many global issues.
- Eric J. Heikkila (171)
  A Bird’s-Eye View: Cities in East and Southeast Asia
  The rich diversity of Asia is reflected in the many faces of urban life in this region. From Tokyo and Shanghai to Jakarta and Phnom Penh, city life takes many forms in a period of tremendous growth and accelerating urbanization.
- Shobhakar Dhakal (181)
  Creating an Urban Movement for Sustainable Living
  The breakneck pace of urbanization in Asia is putting increasing strains on available resources, pushing sustainability to the top of the list of priorities for city governments.
- Paul A. Oliver (162)
  City Leadership: At the Heart of the Global Challenge
  Many of the world's greatest challenges, from environmental degradation to widening income gaps, are increasingly coming to be defined as urban challenges, given the rapid growth of cities.
- Se-hoon Oh (173)
  Changing the Culture of City Hall: Interview with Seoul Mayor Se-hoon Oh
  With a population of over 20 million people, the Seoul metropolitan area is one of the world's largest urban centers, and one of Asia's most developed mega-cities. Seoul Mayor Sehoon Oh sat down with Global Asia Managing Editor David Plott.
- Boris Johnson, Xiaolian Zhang, Xingguo Huang (166)
  Talk From the Top: Mayors Speak Out
  The mayors of Tianjin, Harbin and London describe how the plan to keep their cities attractive, competitive and sustainable.
- Kavi Chongkittavorn, A. Lin Neumann (176)
  Seen from the Street: Manila and Bangkok
  Southeast Asia is home to some of Asia's most colorful cities, and Manila and Bangkok stand out as two examples that attract, intrigue and sometimes repel residents and visitors alike.
- Kheng Soon Tay (168)
  Behold the Countryside: The Urban/Rural Divide
  In Asia's mad dash to urbanization, the countryside has been all but completely forgotten, according to distinguished Singaporean architect Tay Kheng Soon. The tendency to view the urban and the rural as two spaces, not one, is a fundamental mistake. It's
The Debate

Obama’s Foreign Policy Versus McCain’s
- Donald G. Gross (179)
  Barack Obama and Asia
  We can expect an Obama administration to adopt new policies that strengthen existing US alliances in Asia, while also supporting multilateral approaches that help bring stability and prosperity to the region.
- Michael J. Green (167)
  John McCain and Asia
  John McCain would bring significantly greater experience, judgment and credibility to the presidency and to the execution of US strategy in Asia.
Features
- Aaron Siirila, Satu Limaye (167)
  Asia Matters for America
  Asia's impact is increasingly being seen and felt across America — not just restricted to big or coastal states that have traditional links with region.
- W. Bruce Weinrod (162)
  NATO and Asia’s Changing Relationship
  For most of its existence, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization had little, if anything, to do with Asia. But this bedrock of Western security during the Cold War is slowly making its presence felt.
- Karim Raslan (177)
  Change at Last in Malaysia
  For decades, the idea that any party other than UMNO would dominate Malaysian politics was unthinkable. That is changing. Fractures have developed in the ruling coalition and a change in power appears on the horizon.
- Purnendra Jain (173)
  Australia’s Asia Dilemma
  When Kevin Rudd was elected Australian prime minister in November 2007, pundits predicted a period of rosy relations with Asia, given his deep expertise on the region, especially China. That hasn't happened.
- Kyung Bae Min (160)
  Analog Government, Digital Citizens
  When thousands of protestors poured onto the streets of Seoul earlier this year to protest plans to renew imports of US beef, more than a backlash against President Lee Myung-bak was at work.
Book Reviews
- David Plott (160)
  Pax Asiatica: The Search for a New Regional Order
  How the future world order is shaped, especially in Asia, could spell the difference between continuing peace and prosperity and a new era of conflict and chaos. Three new books look toward Asia's future. Reviewed by David Plott
- Sadanand Dhume (164)
  Varieties of Fundamentalist Experience
  One of the most striking aspects of the War on Terrorism is the lack of consensus on exactly with whom the West is at war, and what it must do to bring the conflict to an end. A new novel and autobiography study what it means to be an Islamist. Reviewed B
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