The Orient Express and Late Development Johannes D   The Orient Express and Late Development Johannes D. Schmidt and Jacques Hersh   Associate Professor, Aalborg University, Denmark and Senior Expert, Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, Copenhagen University. Email jds@dps.aau.dkProfessor Emeritus, Research Center on Development and International Relations, Aalborg University, Denmark. Email: jac.ellen@gmail.com First draft paper and presentation for the conference: The Third World Studies Center in Its 40th Year, University of the Philippines, UP Diliman, Manila 9-10 February 2017. The original title for the conference was “Alternative World Orders and the Decline of Western Hegemony”

The problem of Eurocentrism The critique of the Eurocentric approach is making inroads in the ideological problemetization of the mindset that has assigned superiority to the European experience Asia (principally India and China) as well as other civilizations were not lacking behind Europe at the discovery of the Americas Deindustrialization of India and China by political measures of protectionism and force by Britain The development of Japan can be considered as counterproof of the thesis of Eurocentrism

Variants of the “Capitalist Developmental State” allowed the industrialization. American East Asian strategy accept of strategies as a counter-force to socialist construction The victory and prospect of socialism in the Soviet Union and China The Sino-Soviet split open a window of opportunity for the United States in its confrontation with socialism. By playing the “China card” the US administered a strategic defeat on the Soviet Union US geopolitical advantages in attempting to establish world hegemony on the basis of “full spectrum dominance

The opening of China allowed neoliberal globalization to gain access in both the Russian and Chinese economy Revival and return of the Russian political system as political/military power offers resistance to the US proposed geopolitical World Order Chinese economic miracle is finding American resistance to the further growth of China’s geoeconomic power

End of Eurocentrism and Atlanticism Age of Atlanticism is drawing to a close and a new multipolar order is emerging. The self-perception among the political class in Delhi and Beijing ultimately emphasizes not only their position as great powers but REINSERING their role as global leaders Nurtures the scenario of a completely different vision of the future world order Rapid decline of the United States’ unilateralism and the ‘re- emergence’ of a multi polar world where India and China restored Delhi’s and Beijing’s rightful positions Reduction of the Eurocentric approach – a puzzle for Marxism and socialist thought