Incorporating Asian Languages Into Your Translation Workflows Will Broaden Your Company’s Reach
In 1950, Washington, Moscow, and their respective alliance blocs commanded a staggering 88 percent of the global economy and global trade. Fast forward to today, and these countries now constitute 57 percent of global GDP. Power has dispersed, shifting away from superpowers and dispersing among a diverse set of capable, dynamic middle powers that will play a pivotal role in shaping the international landscape in the coming decades.
The concept of a multipolar world, where multiple global powers emerge rather than just a few superpowers, is gaining attention from leaders, and CEOs. Headlines indicate the increasing significance of middle powers, spanning from Turkey and Brazil to South Korea and Australia to Japan and India.
The data I delved into shows a drop in conflict casualties over recent decades compared to most of the 20th century. Not only that, but nations have also been building more peaceful relations both between themselves and within their borders.
Multipolar World
Essentially, the multipolar world will result in less conflicts, wars, genocides, and land theft. It also means that we will need a new global strategy on how to shine in this brave new world.
The future of these trends is up in the air and relies on our collective actions. Recent genocides in Palestine, sub-Saharan Africa, and the conflict in Ukraine highlight the unpredictable path these patterns might take.
Since the end of World War II, the United States spearheaded efforts to reinvigorate international trade and investment. They established & negotiated ground rules which initiated a second wave of globalization. This ongoing wave, however, faces challenges in the form of periodic downturns, unnecessary conflicts, and increased political bickering.
What Fueled the Rise of Global Trade and Commerce?
After World War II, the United States played a key role in constructing a global economic order guided by global rules. The aim was to foster a collaborative world where nations worked together to advance prosperity and peace.
The pillars of this system were free trade and the rule of law, acting as safeguards to prevent economic disputes from escalating into conflicts.
Did Globalization Start After World War II?
No, throughout history, humans have ventured to distant lands to settle, produce, and exchange goods, leveraging advancements in technology and transportation. However, it wasn’t until the 19th century that global integration truly took flight. After centuries of European colonization and trade, the inaugural “wave” of globalization surged forward. This was propelled by steamships, railroads, the telegraph, and other breakthroughs, coupled with a rise in economic cooperation among nations.
This trend in globalization eventually subsided, giving way to the upheavals of World War I, succeeded by postwar protectionism, the Great Depression, and World War II.
Brands from various countries like France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Japan, Korea, China, Turkey, and many more sold their products and services worldwide. They were also able to extend their operations and hired skilled employees from around the globe.
Vital Reasons Why the World is Shifting
Let’s have a glimpse at some of the trending events occurring worldwide that we never anticipated would occur:
- Saudi Arabia would consider ditching the US dollar and jumping into trade with alternative currencies like the yuan would have been downright unimaginable.
- Yemen would confront the UK and the US directly in the Red Sea as a response to the genocide taking place in Gazza.
- Russia would directly face NATO countries in Ukraine.
- BRICS would initiate efforts to expand and reduce dependence on the US dollar in their trade.
- South Africa would take Israel to the Int’l Criminal Court (ICC) for their genocide against the Palestinian civilians.
- U.S. allies like Turkey, Brazil, and India would resist joining sanctions against Russia.
- France would face expulsion from Africa. And USA would face expulsion from Iraq.
- Significant portion of the world would cease purchasing US bonds or debt.
- The United States would experience defeat at the hands of the Taliban.
- Russia, China, and Iran would resolutely oppose the United States and Israel in Syria.
- Russia would disarm (in terms of ammunition) all NATO countries, boasting a military-industrial base and capacity surpassing the combined strength of all NATO nations.
- The Western nations collectively would harm their economies through sanctions imposed on Russia.
When these various occurrences are combined, it signifies the emergence of a fresh and tangible global reality.
The years 2024-2025 will serve as defining moments, signaling an upcoming period of stable global political and economic environment in a multipolar world. Or a final attempt by the declining hegemony to retain its influence via a new large scale war.
Regardless of the foreign policy chosen by the US, one thing is for sure that the world is going to be multipolar and our ability to get along in this new environment could have a drastic impact on our society and economy.
What Will a Multipolar World Mean for Global Trade and Commerce?
As the world moves towards a multipolar landscape, it becomes imperative to reassess global supply chains, placing greater emphasis on minimizing risks and prioritizing research and development. This transition is of utmost importance as both companies and countries compete for power in emerging technologies.
According to Morgan Stanley’s Charting Strategies for a Multipolar World report, three key takeaways that will have the most significant impact on global trade and commerce are:
- Corporations and countries will trim down their technological, trade, and operational interdependence.
- A multipolar global economy will prominently feature nearshoring, friend-shoring, and the localization of production.
- The realignment of global trade is poised to usher in substantial changes to the technology, industrials, and renewable energy sectors.
What Industries Are Going to Be Most Impacted?
Industrial Automation – In the era of a multipolar world, there’s a heightened demand for investments in factories, warehouses, and machinery to adapt to the transformation of supply chains. Capital equipment suppliers, offering the essential hardware and software—the “picks and shovels” of modern industrial manufacturing—to facilitate this global shift, are expected to experience faster growth compared to the past decade. Analysts express optimism about the incremental growth prospects for industrial automation, predicting the market to expand from the current $136 billion to $211 billion by 2030.
Global Technology – Diversifying the production of semiconductors – those tiny chips fueling mobile phones, appliances, cars, and medical devices – holds substantial importance in global trade. To ramp up capacity, companies are gearing up for over $180 billion in U.S. semiconductor production, with a fresh law passed in 2022 earmarking $52 billion in incentives to support the domestic chips industry. While smartphone and tech hardware assembly has been heavily concentrated in China, efforts are underway to establish new production capacity in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Renewable energy and EV Batteries – Energy security and independence are taking center stage for U.S. policymakers, with electric vehicles playing a pivotal role in this endeavor. To achieve widespread adoption of EVs, a substantial overhaul of the EV battery supply chain is necessary. Currently, 90% of this supply chain depends on China for components and manufacturing. Analysts project that bringing back and establishing domestic production for the various elements and processes involved in creating green vehicle batteries will require over $7 trillion in investments through 2040. This includes building factories, expanding battery capacity and recycling capabilities, and upgrading mining and refining infrastructure.
Elite Winners of the Multipolar World
Mexico and India will emerge as strong contenders in the nearshoring and friend-shoring trends. India, poised to overtake Japan and Germany as the world’s third-largest economy, anticipates tripling its manufacturing base by 2031. Concurrently, Mexico is projected to experience an uptick in GDP growth, climbing from 1.9% in 2022 to 2.4% over the next five years, fueled by increased investments and manufacturing activities.
Countries in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam and Thailand, are expected to witness a surge in manufacturing, particularly in areas such as wearables, electronic components, and batteries.
Additionally, there is a strong anticipation for Japan to take on a comprehensive leadership role in the region. This is particularly emphasized by its multifaceted connections—economic, security, and cultural—with the countries of Southeast Asia.
The countries in the Global South are becoming more self-assured, realizing that the United States is no longer guaranteed to be invincible. Allies of the US are starting to reassess their stances, understanding that their defensive ties with the US have limited them. Consequently, their global brands are adapting to stay current and significant.
The future’s looking pretty exciting, and it might just be the perfect time to venture your brand into Asia and translating your docs into a diverse set of Asian languages – think Indonesian, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Thai, and some of the languages of India, such as Hindi.
Why? Because the action’s shifting to Asia!
Whether you prefer AI translation software, teaming up with human translators, or doing a bit of both, diving into the world of translating your product manuals, legal agreements, website copy, and user guides into the vibrant Asian languages could be the next big thing you’ll want to explore!
Start your journey with EPIC Translations
We deliver high-impact translations for Asian and European languages that simplify your communications with clients, staff, suppliers, and partners throughout the globe.
Simply put, EPIC Translations exists to support your content translation needs whether you need to translate product manuals, company newsletters, apps / website copy, or legal documents.
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