On August 28, the "Nanshan Dialogue: Asia's Future Amid a Great Upheaval" seminar was held in Shenzhen's Nanshan District. Professor Kishore Mahbubani, former Singaporean Ambassador to the United Nations and founding dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, attended with his newly released memoir, Living the Asian Century.
The work chronicles his life, detailing his journey from a poor childhood in a multiethnic neighborhood to an illustrious diplomatic career that took him far from Singapore to the United States.
During the event, Mahbubani reflected on his personal journey—from a childhood in a multiethnic neighborhood to a distinguished diplomatic career. When asked about his inspiration for writing the book, he remarked, "If you ask me what inspired me, right? So I guess I basically decided when I turned 75 two years ago, and I was already now an old man, it's time to maybe write about the story of my life."
He also emphasized the extraordinary achievements of Singapore's early leaders, noting that "many of the young Singaporeans do not know that some of the founding leaders of Singapore were some of the greatest leaders I've met in my life."
While the memoir narrates his life story, it also traces Singapore's remarkable transformation from being one of the poorest countries in the world to becoming one of the richest.
Mahbubani shared profound insights on artificial intelligence, international relations, and Asia's growing global influence. He described the past 200 years of Western dominance in world history as "an aberration," pointing out that "in 1820, China and India's share of the global GDP was almost 50%," which later declined sharply to 5% by the end of World War II.
He concluded on an optimistic note: "We are all very lucky to be alive at this moment in history, to see the revival of these great ancient civilizations; you will also see a massive cultural renaissance." The event included an engaging Q&A and book signing session, attracting scholars and readers alike.
Reporter: Liu Xiaodi, Guo Zedong
Script & Text: Guo Zedong
Cameraman: Deng Yingheng
Photo: Deng Yingheng
Video editor: Pan Jiajun
Cover: Lai Meiya
Editor: Yuan Zixiang, James Campion, Shen He
