Given the history of Western colonialism in Asia, the desire to maintain a distinct identity is both legitimate and understandable, as is the belief in many Asian countries – first and foremost China – that the time has come to settle old scores. But the effort to preserve one’s power, the need for a distinct “Asian” identity, and the desire to settle historical scores will not solve the normative question raised by China’s emergence as the century’s dominant power.
考虑到西方对亚洲的殖民历史，这种保持独特身份定义的意愿既具有其合法性，在情感上也是可以理解的，对许多亚洲国家——旗手当然是中国——来说，现在是时候清算一下旧账了。但维护自身实力，那些营造特殊“亚洲”身份定义的需要以及清算历史旧账的意愿都不能解决由中国崛起成为本世纪支配力量所带来的规范问题。