The Heat discusses decline of West, rise of developing nations

The Heat

While the developing world is enjoying unprecedented economic growth, the West is struggling with debt, declining influence, and political dysfunction. The Heat explores whether the world is witnessing a historic shift in the global balance of power.

From the 18th century through World War II, it was Europe that guided Western nations to a position of global dominance by spreading liberal democracy and capitalism. After the war, the United States assumed that leadership.

Today Western economies are faced with slow growth and a seemingly inability to influence global outcomes, from Ukraine, to Iraq, to the South China Sea.

According to Georgetown University professor Charles A. Kupchan using analysis by Goldman Sachs, four of the top five economies will come from the developing world: China, India, Brazil and Russia. From today’s developed world, only the United States will be among the top five, raking second, or size of China, Kupchan wrote.

What does all that say about declining western influence and the rise of the East and beyond? CCTV America’s Nathan King reports.

For more discussion on global power shifts, The Heat was joined by a panel of experts:

  • Victor Gao, director of the China National Association of International Studies.
  • Craig Shirley, a historian and author of “December 1941: 31 Days that Changed America and Saved the World.”
  • Adrian Wooldridge, management editor at The Economist and co-author of “The Fourth Revolution: The Global Race to Reinvent the State.”

Is the West in decline and the East on the rise? Our panel discussion continues with more insight.