Smart Power Vol 1 – New Narratives of Prosperity, Persuasion and Projection

By Elena Douglas

This report provides a snapshot of different dimensions of power for each country “in the Zone,” that is, the UTC +8 timezone which contains Perth, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, Manila, Taipei, Beijing, Shanghai, and Ulaanbataar. Perth shares a four-hour time horizon with sixty percent of the world’s population. The nations with the greatest promise for economic growth in the twenty-first century, our allies, inhabit this region. In this report, we have evaluated the countries of the Zone within the smart-power framework. The result is a blend of smart-power concepts and data journalism. Directed at policymakers and private sector executives in the region, the research uses existing reliable statistics from sources such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Conference Board, and the United Nations. The report consists of thirteen data stories which include as much knowledge and insight as possible. It also includes data sets, where possible, for specific Western Australia statistics.

The following publication was produced as part of the PerthUSAsia Centre’s annual In the Zone conference.