China’s Belt & Road Initiative network spans the globe like a huge conveyor belt. It moves everything from solar panels to prefab housing and electric vehicles. The so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution will be fueled by AI, IoT, 5G, etc., but it requires lots of hardware and infrastructure. East Asia, and in particular China, will be the leading player in this new era.
The legendary Japanese industrial designer Kenji Ekuan was asked how he would characterize the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He said: “The world has seen great dama in the past. We have seen the French Revolution, the American Revolution, the Russian Revolution. They were great dramas. But now the world is awaiting a new drama. I call this the Drama of the Material World.”
