One of the Financial Times Best books of 2025 The Economic Times

As the international order begins to fragment, this incisive book explores what the rise of the Asian superstates means for the future.

The West-dominated world that has shaped global politics and economics for the past three centuries is undergoing profound change. As the United States retreats from its traditional role as guarantor of the international order, other nations are moving to fill the vacuum. Chief among them are two rising Asian superstates: China and India.

Together accounting for more than a third of the world s population, China and India have the potential to wield immense economic and political influence. China is already competing with the United States for global economic leadership and, by some measures, has overtaken it. By the middle of the century, India may emerge as the world s second- largest economy. How will these countries navigate their expanding roles on the world stage? What will their rise mean for global commerce, international law and the fight against climate change?

Drawing on decades of engagement with both countries first as a professional economist and later as a senior government minister, Vince Cable combines the latest data with a lifetime of political and economic experience to offer a compelling analysis of how the rise of the Asian superstates will reshape the twenty- first century.