Globalization is undoubtedly a Western concept and bears a strong imprint of American political and economic power. The conference echoed with demands that rich countries listen to the concerns of the developing world. Too bad the United States and Europe sent only junior trade and aid officials to Bangkok. That is not surprising. The rich nations, after all, have their own business lobbies and voters to answer to.
Regionalism is one obvious step.
Each European nation on its own is fairly small, but the European Union has a huge presence on the global stage. China's entry into the World Trade Organization should be a big help. Accords may then be harder to come by, but the results will be more acceptable all around. More needs to be done at home. Asian countries must redouble efforts to educate their citizens and equip them with the tools needed to participate in globalization.