China and India are the ones to watch — we need to up our game

At the Jaipur book festival, events were thronged with people or all ages. Intellectuals are seen as cool. The bookshop was crowded. Just like in China, young people in India consume information and value education. Parents encourage them to study hard and be the best in the class. They do not expect to learn how to speak second or third languages, or how to do calculus, through an intravenous infusion administered by their teacher. They know they have to study hard in school and work hard in life if they have any chance of doing well. They expect the state to help but not to cater for their every need for little or no charge.

https://archive.ph/mPJIo

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5832563&forum_id=2...id.#49656215)

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In Ireland, most of our attention is directed towards the UK, Europe and the US. The time has come to put a much greater focus on the two Asian giants

Leo Varadkar

Saturday February 07 2026, 5.00pm GMT, The Sunday Times

When it comes to geopolitical change, today’s focus is on Maga America and its shift away from its traditional European allies and other western democracies. But there are other geopolitical changes under way that should not be missed — the shift in global political, economic and military powers to east and south, to India and to China in particular.

Indeed, much of the current angst in America arises from a fear that they might be surpassed as the dominant power in our lifetime. Long before President Trump promised to make America great again, there was President Obama’s pivot to the Pacific.

In my new line of work, whether in universities, advising businesses or talking to non-profits, I am often asked to predict the future. Of course, I cannot. And I do not have the confidence to pretend that I can. So what do I say? I say there are only a few certainties when it comes to the global megatrends that determine our fate: demographic change, technological change, climate change and geopolitical change.

None of these variables are new but they are all happening more rapidly than ever before. If you prepare for these you probably won’t go too far wrong.

In the past few months, I have had the opportunity to visit China and India. In China, it’s hard to escape the feeling that they have already leapt ahead of us in terms of infrastructure and technology.

Entering the train station in Guangzhou, you have that sensation even before you board the bullet train. WeChat is an easy to use all-purpose app you can use to pay for things, chat to friends or order a taxi or lunch. Facial recognition technology is widely used and may soon replace the need for IDs and QR codes on your phone. The country leads the way on renewable energy, both solar and electric cars.

Since China has embraced capitalism, hundreds of millions of people have been lifted out of extreme poverty and now aspire to affluence. It is definitely not a free country and the western hope that increased prosperity would inevitably lead to demands of democracy, individual freedom and respect for human rights remains unfulfilled.

China’s message to the world is simple: we don’t invade other countries, we will not impose our system on yours and we demand respect. To them, China is merely returning to its rightful place as the Middle Kingdom and the largest economy in the world. Exactly what “respect” means is not always clear but it certainly means not interfering in what they perceive to be internal matters.

India is still a developing country. But it is impossible not to acknowledge the enormous progress made in recent decades, from modern airports and highways to the arrival of electricity, sanitation and running water in even the most remote villages. Access to mobile phones, the internet and electronic payments is the norm.

While India has taken a decidedly illiberal turn in the past decade, it is a noticeably freer society than China. The government is loudly criticised, it has a multi-party democracy with real elections, journalists ask tough questions, women are more prominent across society and it is striking quite how many people are openly queer or trans.

At the Jaipur book festival, events were thronged with people or all ages. Intellectuals are seen as cool. The bookshop was crowded. Just like in China, young people in India consume information and value education. Parents encourage them to study hard and be the best in the class. They do not expect to learn how to speak second or third languages, or how to do calculus, through an intravenous infusion administered by their teacher. They know they have to study hard in school and work hard in life if they have any chance of doing well. They expect the state to help but not to cater for their every need for little or no charge.

When I was sitting my leaving cert, China and India did not make the top ten in the league table of world economies; today they are in second and fifth places respectively. Both have large militaries, extensive civil and military nuclear programmes and have landed spacecraft on the moon. In 20 years’ time, China will be largest economy in the world again and very possibly India will be second.

Today’s toddlers will go to college in a totally different world than the one we live in now. For the first time since the 1800s, the rules of the world will not be written by Europeans or Americans alone. If we care about them, we’ve a duty to prepare them for it and our country too. In Ireland, we focus most of our resources on our traditional relationships — with the UK, our larger and nearest neighbour; with Europe, and the union we’ve helped to build; and, of course, with the US, the major power in the world. That makes sense.

I think, though, the time has come to put a much greater focus on the two Asian giants. Good things are happening. We have newish consulates in Mumbai and Hong Kong. Trade is growing. There is one direct flight. Michéal Martin’s visit to China was a positive move but it was the first by a taoiseach since Enda Kenny in 2012. No serving taoiseach has visited India since Bertie Ahern — at least not in their official capacity.

The new EU-India free trade agreement creates real opportunities for closer ties with that country, as does higher education. But it should be in both directions, not just Asian students coming to Ireland to learn from us but also the reverse. Queen’s University Belfast has a campus in India, a valuable foothold, but there are none from the Republic. Of our 180 diplomats posted abroad, 15 are in China and only seven in India. The enterprise agencies are present but not at the scale required to make a big impact. We really need to pay more attention to these important growth centres and up our game.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5832563&forum_id=2...id.#49656217)

anyone who's gone thru the US education system knows the diff between asians and birdshits

now multiple that by 10x in india and china cause its even more competitive

i dont even know whats debatable abt this, u birdshits are living in fantasy land

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5832563&forum_id=2...id.#49656371)

also if turdland and cheye-nuh are so great then maybe he should get his brown ass out of ireland and fuck off back there

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5832563&forum_id=2...id.#49656312)

oh i see what u are saying, i meant Ex POTUS not EX FAGGOT u never stop being a FAGGOT u always are, all men are actually FAGGOTS

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5832563&forum_id=2...id.#49656367)