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Why East Asia could be the new centre for peace and economic growth

At a time of worsening global security, East Asia could eclipse a Europe “no longer worth emulating” and become the benchmark for peace and economic…

By Samantha Johnson / June 26, 2026
At a time of worsening global security, East Asia could eclipse a Europe “no longer worth emulating” and become the benchmark for peace and economic growth, according to a prominent Chinese political scientist.

Yan Xuetong, honorary president of the Institute of International Relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing, also said the widening rift between the United States and its European allies would elevate East Asia’s global standing.

He told a media event in Beijing on Thursday that regardless of the outcome of current negotiations between the US and Iran, “the global security situation will deteriorate rather than improve over the next five years”.

Yan added that there was a growing risk of state-based conflict worldwide, with Europe, the Middle East and Africa likely to face the biggest threats in the coming year.

“If European countries are unable to end the Russia-Ukraine war, do you think they have the capacity to maintain overall peace across Europe? I’m afraid they do not,” Yan said.

“In contrast to Europe, we have maintained a long period of … peace in East Asia,” he added.

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