They occupy a growing role in world diplomacy

Unable to escape. In January 2006, Davos, it was New Delhi in Graubünden. In the small Swiss station which brings together early in the year au gratin in the business of the world, the World Economic Forum had the colours of the Indian economy. In December, Lille, it was, this year also, Bombay in the Calais; "Bombaysers de Lille", specifically. To celebrate this great country, the regional capital has been to transform the Faidherbe Street in "rambla" of elephants!

Unable to escape. 2006 will have been, on the economic front, the year of the India. From Davos, it began with the hostile OPA of Lakshmi Mittal, a British citizen of Indian origin, the franco-luxembourgeois steel group Arcelor a mega-OPA of EUR 38 billion that will lead to the birth of the world leader in steel. It was completed on the OPA also hostile, Vodafone, the world leader in the mobile phone, on the fourth Indian operator, Hutchison Essar. The patron of the British Group knows music: Arun Sarin, also a citizen of his Majesty... of Indian origin.

The India has thus become, in 2006, as the other China. The elephant is admittedly differences with the dragon. It is a former British colony while it has always been an empire. It is a democracy where there is a dictatorship. It is a country to the dynamic demographics where the other is already tired, a nation where illiteracy is still massive while it has virtually disappeared in the other, a total bureaucracy when the other is only a half. It is an economy which has begun its opening in 1991 while in Mao, the reform was initiated at the end of the 1970s, a country so in which the standard of living is barely a quarter of that of its neighbour, where foreigners have invested ten times less. It is an elite remained in contact with the world while the mandarins, sent in the fields of the cultural revolution, had temporarily abandoned it. These are a few sharp laboratories to the immense and imposing workshop of the world.

The two countries, the India and China, have many common points. Demographic Giants had not until then truly participated in the great industrial revolution initiated in the late 18th century, they are one and the other face, in the beginning of the twenty-first century, a similar challenge, that of development, with the massive transfer of a rural and agricultural population towards the city and the industry. They know above all, one and the other, a tremendous growth. In 2006, the activity will have progressed from a little less than 10 in India; a little over 10 in China. Representing one third of the world's population, they do weigh together still only 8 of the production of the planet. But they became, together, one of the main engines.

After placing their pawns in the Middle Kingdom, Western industrialists are now obsessed with this "bis Eldorado", where they are may lose a lot of money, before win, certainly, one day a little. Like Vodafone, the Cisco, Wal-Mart and other IBM flock there. French companies are not in remainder: Capgemini, Renault, Accor, Lafarge and others still give a net Accelerator coup their investment in the country. As in China, the emergence of a large middle class (more than 300 million people) fuels their greed. More than in China, the presence of a highly skilled labour, especially in the high-tech and services, drew their attention. Indian companies daughters of a dynamic family capitalism and Chinese from public mastodons in the process of decay come from more teasing their Western competitors in energy, of course, but also the steel, the high-tech or the automobile. Euphoria caregiver, the financial markets of the two countries have also posted on the year the best performance of the financial world the Indian actions have won more than 45, those listed in Shanghai and Shengzen 100! It is here that have made the most spectacular operations of the year the introduction on the stock exchange of the Chinese Bank ICBC was even more important in the history of capitalism!

The great game, to the West, then is whether the India or China, dominate the region, or even the world in the century underway described as "Indian" in Mumbai, of "Chinese" in Beijing. Regardless of whether in fact, it is, according to the neologism invented by the Anglo-Saxon press, a new set, the "Chindia", which is a growing place in the global economy. In industry, trade, market power or the capital. Beyond, is in fact, by this engine, across Asia that flies. To ensure a take-off without too much turmoil, the countries of the region, reach this year "made in Asia", to erase their historical disputes. Chinese and Indians on the one hand, Chinese and Japanese on the other hand, begin of spectacular rabibochages.

In 2006, the economic rise of Asian countries is multiple expressions. They occupy a growing role in world diplomacy. We see them more and more in Africa, Latin America and elsewhere. They organize their collective defences in proceedings such as the WTO. They want more and more, say their word on big business in the world the North Korea, the Iran or the Iraq. Like a Jacques Chirac, to not make jealous, visit during the year the two emerging giants, American, British or German leaders there send permanently a few high-level representatives, when they are there do not themselves. International organizations are themselves marked by this Asian failover: a South Korean (Ban Ki-moon) is designated to host the United Nations, a Japanese (Nobuo Tanaka) for the International Agency for energy (a branch of the OECD) and a Chinese woman (Margaret Chan) for the World Health Organization. Each time, it is the first time, not the last probably. What we said 2006 was that Indian or Chinese, the century beginning will be, certainly, "made in Asia".