Given these and other elements I do not cover today, Asia and the US will most likely continue to assume shared responsibility for the smooth functioning of the global economic architecture. Besides the economic issues, Asia's cohesion is as evident as that of Europe. Unlike Europe, however, Asian countries are divided or "linked," I would say, by the sea.
Therefore, the safety and stability of sea routes are vital for the cross-border movement of goods, services, and people. With respect to culture, ethnicity, and religion, Asia remains an area of immense diversity. Also, Asia is undergoing profound changes as I said at the outset.