Economy
Cities and the Creative Class in Asia
How countries like China and Malaysia built a new generation of highly skilled workers faster than anywhere else
Many in the West think of the Asian Pacific as the world’s factory. But in reality, cities and the creative economy are key factors in the region's future economic development.
There was growing recognition of these factors at last weekend's APEC CEO Summit in Honolulu. Chinese President Hu Jintao said China should make innovation "a main driver of growth." President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia announced that his country had formed a new Ministry of the Creative Economy. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made an impassioned case for the connection between diversity and economic growth, noting the prosperity gains that come from unleashing the talent and capabilities of women.