9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I want you to reimagine[br]how life is organized on earth. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Think of the planet like[br]a human body that we inhabit. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The skeleton is the transportation system[br]of roads and railways, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 bridges and tunnels,[br]air and seaports 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that enable our mobility[br]across the contient. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The vascular system[br]that powers the body 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with oil and gas pipelines[br]that distribute energy. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And the nervous system[br]of communications 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is the internet cables,[br]satellites, cellular networks 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and data centers that allow[br]us to share information. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This ever-expanding infrastructural matrix[br]of 64 million kilometers of roads, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 4 million kilometers of railways, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 2 million kilometers of pipelines, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and 1 million kilometers[br]of internet cables. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What about international borders? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We have less than[br]500,000 kilometers of borders. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Let's build a better map[br]of the world. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And we can start by overcoming[br]some ancient mythology. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 There's a saying with which[br]all students of history are familiar: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "Geography is destiny." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Sounds so grave, doesn't it? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's such a fatalistic adage. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It tells us that landlocked countries[br]are condemned to be poor, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that small countries cannot escape[br]their larger neighbors, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that vast distances are insurmountable. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But every journey I take [br]around the world, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I see an even greater force[br]sweeping the planet: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 connectivity. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The global connectivity revolution,[br]in all of its forms -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 transportation, energy[br]and communications-- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 has enabled such a quantum leap[br]in the mobility of people, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of goods, of resources,[br]of knowledge, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 such that we can no longer think[br]of geography as distinct from it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In fact, I view the two forces[br]as fusing together 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 into what I call connectography. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Connectography represents[br]a quantum leap 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in the mobility of people, resources[br]and ideas, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but it is an evolution, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 an evolution of the world from [br]political geography, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 which is how we legally divide[br]the world, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to functional geography, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 which is how we actually[br]use the world, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 from nations and borders,[br]to infrastructure and supply chains. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Our global system is evolving 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 from the vertically integrated[br]empires of the 19th century, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 through the horizontally,[br]interdependent nations 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of the 20th century, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 into a global network civilization[br]in the 21st century. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Connectivity, not sovereignty, [br]has become 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the organizing principle[br]of the human species. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Applause) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We are becoming this global network[br]civilization 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because we are literally building it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 All of the world's defense budgets[br]and military spending 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 taken together total just under[br]2 trillion dollars per year. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Meanwhile, our global infrastructure[br]spending is projected to rise 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to 9 trillion dollars per year[br]within the coming decade. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And, well, it should. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We have been living off[br]an infrastructure stock 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 meant for a world population[br]of 3 billion, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as our population has crossed[br]7 billion to 8 billion 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and eventually 9 billion and more. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 As a rule of thumb, we should spend[br]about 1 trillion dollars 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 on the basic infrastructure needs[br]of every billion people in the world. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Not surprisingly, Asia is in the lead. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In 2015, China announced the creation 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of the Asia Infrastructure [br]and Investment Bank, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 which together with a network[br]of other organizations, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 aims to construct a network[br]of iron and silk roads, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 stretching from Shanghai to Lisbon. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And as all of this topographical[br]engineering unfolds, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we will likely spend more [br]on infrastrucutre 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in the nest 40 years,[br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we will build more infrastructure[br]in the next 40 years,[br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 than we have in the last 4,000 years. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now let's stop and think about it[br]for a little minute. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Spending so much more[br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 on building the foundations[br]of global society 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 rather than on the tools[br]to destroy it 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 can have profound consequences. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Connectivity is how we optimize[br]the distribution 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of people and resources[br]around the world. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It is how mankind comes to be more[br]than just the sum of its parts. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I believe that is what is happening. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Connectivity has a twin megatrend[br]in the the 21st century: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 planetary urbanization. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Cities are the infrastructures[br]that most define us. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 By 2030, more than two thirds[br]of the world's population 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 will live in cities. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And these are not mere dots[br]on the map, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but they are vast archepelagos[br]stretching hundreds of kilomters. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Here we are in Vancouver, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 at the head of the Cascadia Corridor[br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that stretches south across the US border[br]to Seattle. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The technology powerhouse [br]of SIlicon Valley 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 begins north of San Francisco[br]down to San Jose 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and across the bay to Oakland. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The sprawl of Los Angeles[br]now passes San Diego 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 across the Mexican border[br]to Tijuana. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 San Diego and Tijuana[br]now share an airport terminal 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 where you can exit into either country. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Eventually, a high-speed rail network[br]may connect the entire Pacific spine. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 America's northeastern megalopolis[br]begins in Boston through New York 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and Philadelphia to Washingotn. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It contains more than 50 million people 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and also has plans for a high-speed[br]rail network. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But Asia is where we really see[br]the magacities coming together. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This continous strip of light[br]from Tokyo through Negoya 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to Osaka contains [br]more than 80 million people, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and most of Japan's economy. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It is the world's largest megacity. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 For now. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But in China, megacity clusters[br]are coming together 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with populations reaching[br]100 million people. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The Yangtze River Delta[br]around Shanghai 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and the Pearl River Delta, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 stretching from Hong Kong[br]to ? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And in the middle, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the ? mgacity, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 whose geographic footprint[br]is almost the same size 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as the country of Austria. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And any number of these[br]megacity clusters 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 has a GDP approaching[br]2 trillion dollars, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that's almost the same[br]of all of India today. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So imagine if our global diplomatic[br]institutions like the G20 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 were to base their membership[br]of economic size 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 rather than national representation. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Some Chinese megacities may be in[br]and have a seat at the table, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 while entire countries,[br]like Argentina and Indonesia may be out. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Moving to India, whose population[br]will soon exceed that of China, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it too has a number of megacity clusters, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 such as the Delhi capital region[br]and Mumbai. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In the Middle East, greater Tehran[br]is absorbing 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 one third of Iran's population. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Most of Egypt's 30 million people 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 live in the corridor between[br]Cairo and Alexandria. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And in the gulf, a necklace[br]of citystates if forming, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 from Bahrain to Qatar, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 through the United Arab Emirates[br]through Muscat in Oman. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And then there's Lagos, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Africa's largest city[br]and Nigeria's commerical hub. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It has plans for a rail network[br]that will make it the anchor 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of a vast Atlantic coastal corridor, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 stretching across Benin,[br]Togo and Ghana, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to Abidjan, the capital[br]of the Ivory Coast. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But these countries[br]are suburbs of Lagos. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In the megacity world, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 countries can be suburbs of cities. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 By 2030, we will have as many [br]as 50 such megacity clusters 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in the world. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So which map tells you more? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Our traditional map of 200 discret nations[br]that hang on most of our wallls, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 or this map of the 50 megacity clusters? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And yet, even this is incomplete 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because you cannot understand[br]any individual megacity 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 without understanding its connections[br]to the others. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 People move to cities to be connected, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and connectivity is [br]why these cities thrive. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Any number of them such as Sao Paolo[br]or Istanbul or Moscow 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 has a GDP approaching or exceeding[br]one third of one half 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of their entire national GDP. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But equally importantly, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 you cannot calculate any of their[br]individual value 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 without understanding the role[br]of the flows of people, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of finance, of technology 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that enable them to thrive. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Take the Gauteng province[br]of South Africa, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 which contains Johannesburg[br]and the capital Pretoria. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It too represents just over[br]a third of South Africa's GDP. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Equally importantly, it is home[br]to the offices 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of almost every single multinational[br]corporation 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that invests directly into South Africa 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and indeed, into the entire[br]African continent. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Cities want to be part[br]of global value chains. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They want to be part [br]of this global division of labor. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That is how cities think. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I've never met a mayor[br]who said to me, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "I want my city to be cut off" 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They know that their cities[br]belong as much 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to the global network civilization[br]as to their home countries. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now for many people, urbanization[br]causes great dismay. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They think cities are wrecking the planet. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But right now, there are more [br]than 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 200 intercity learning networks thriving. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That is as many as the[br]intergovernmental organizations 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that we have. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And all of these intercity networks[br]are devoted to one purpose, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 mankind's number one priority[br]in the 21st century: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 sustainable urbanization. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Is it working? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Let's take climate change. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We know that summit after summit[br]in New York and Paris 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is not going to reduce[br]greenhouse gas emissions. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But what we can see is that[br]transffering technology 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and knowledge and policies[br]between cities 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is how we've actually begun[br]to reduce 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the carbon intensity of our economies. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Cities are learning from each other. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 How to install zero-emissions buildings, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 how to deploy electric car-sharing systems. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In major Chinese cities, they're imposing[br]quotas 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 on the number of cars on the streets. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In many Western cities, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 young people don't even [br]want to drive anymore. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Cities have been part of the problem, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 now they are part of the solution. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Inequality is the other great challenge[br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to achieving sustainable urbanization. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When I travel through megacities[br]from end to end, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it takes hours and days, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I experience the tragedy[br]of extreme disparity 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 within the same geography. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And yet, our global stock[br]of financial assets 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 has never been larger, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 approaching 300 trillion dollars. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That's almost four times[br]the actual GDP of the world. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We have taken on such[br]enormous debts 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 since the financial crisis, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but have we invested them[br]in inclusive growth? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 No, not yet. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Only when we build sufficient,[br]affordable public housing, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 when we invest in robust[br]transportation networks 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to allow people to connect[br]to each other 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 both physically and digitally, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that's when our divided cities[br]and societies 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 will come to feel whole again. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Applause) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And that is why infrastructure[br]has just been included 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in the United Nations [br]Sustainable Development Goals, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because it enables all the others. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Our political and economic leaders 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 are learning that connectivity[br]is not charity, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it's an opportunity. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And that's why our financial community[br]needs to undestand 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that connectivity is the most[br]important asset class of the 21st centiry. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now, cities can make the world[br]more sustainable, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they can make the world[br]more equitable, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I also believe that connectivity[br]between cities 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 can make the world[br]more peaceful. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 If we look at regions of the world[br]with dense relations across borders, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we see more trade, more investment, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and more stability. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We all know the sotry of[br]Europe after WWII, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 where industrial integration[br]kicked off a process 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that gave rise today's peaceful[br]European Union. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And you can see that Russia,[br]by the way, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is the least connected [br]of major powers 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in the internaitonla system. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And that goes a long way[br]towards explaining 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 tensions today. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Countries that have less stake[br]in the system 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 also have less to loose[br]in disturbing it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In North America, the lines[br]that matter most on the map 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 are not the US-Canada border[br]or the US-Mexico border, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but the dense network of roads[br]and railways and pipelines 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and electricity grids[br]and even water canals 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that are forming an integrated[br]North American union. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 North America does not need[br]more walls, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it needs more connections. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Applause) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But the real promise of connectivity[br]is in the post-colonial world. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 All of those regions where borders[br]have historically been 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the most arbitrary 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and where generations of leaders[br]have had hostile relations with each other, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but now a new group of leaders[br]has come into power 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and is burying the hatchet. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Let's take Southeast Asia, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 where high-speed rail networks[br]are planned 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to connect Bangkok to Singapore 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and trade corridors from Vietnam[br]to Myanmar. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now this region of 600 million people 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 coordinates its agricultural resources[br]and its 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and its industrial output. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It is evolving into what I call[br]a Pax Asiana, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a peace among Southeast Asian nations. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 A similar phenomenon[br]is underway in East Africa, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 where a half dozen countries[br]are investing 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in railways and multimodal corridors 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so that landlocked countries[br]can get their goods to market. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now these countries coordinate[br]their utilities 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and their investment policies. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They, too, are evolving[br]into a Pax Africana. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 One region we know that could[br]especially use this kind of thinking[br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is the Middle East. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 As Arab states tragically collapse, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 what is left behind but[br]the ancient cities, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 such as Cairo, Beirut[br]and Baghdad. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In fact, the nearly 400 million people[br]of the Arab world 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 are almost entirely urbanized. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 As societies, as cities, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they are either water rich or water poor, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 energy rich or energy poor. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And the only way to correct[br]these mismatches 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is not through more wars[br]and more borders, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but through more connectivity[br]of pipelines and water canals. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Sadly, this is not yet the map[br]of the Middle East. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But it should be, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a connected Pax Arabia, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 internally integrated and[br]productively connected 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to its neighbors: Europe, Asia[br]and Africa. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now it may not seem like[br]connectivity is what we want right now 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 towards the world's most turbulent region. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But we know from history [br]that more connectivity is the only way 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to bring out stability in the long run, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because we know that in region after region, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 connectivity is the new reality. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Cities and countries are learning[br]to aggregate 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 into more peaceful and prosperous wholes. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But the real test is going to be Asia. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Can connectivity overcome[br]the patterns of rivarly 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 among the far east. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 After all, this is where[br]World War III 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is supposed to break out. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Since the end of the Cold War,[br]a quarter-century ago, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 at least 6 major wars have been[br]predicted for this region. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But none have broken out. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Take China and Taiwan. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In the 1990s, this was everyone's [br]leading WWIII scenario. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But since that time, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the trade and investment volumes[br]across the straits 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 have become so intense that last November, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 leaders from both sides[br]held a historic summit 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to discuss eventual peaceful[br]reunification. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And even the election of[br]a Nationalist party in Taiwan 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that's pro-independence [br]earlier this year 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 does not undermine[br]this fundamental dynamic. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 China and Japan have an even [br]longer history of rivalry 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and have been deploying their [br]air forces and navies 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to show their strength[br]in island disputes. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But in recent years, Japan[br]has been making 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 its largest foreign investments[br]in China. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Japanese cars are selling[br]in record numbers there. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And guess where the largest number[br]of foreigners 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 residing in Japan today[br]comes from? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You guessed it: China. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 China and India have fought[br]a major war 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and have three outstanding[br]border disputes, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but today India is the second largest[br]shareholder 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in the Asia Infrastructure[br]Investment Bank. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Their building a trade corridor[br]stretching from Northeast India 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 through Myanmar and Bangladesh[br]to Southern China. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Their trade volume has grown[br]from 20 billion dollars a decade ago 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to 80 billion dollars today. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Nuclear-armed Indian and Pakistan[br]have fought three wars 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and continue to dispute Kashmir, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but they're also negotiating[br]a Most-Favored Nation trade agreement 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and want to complete[br]a pipeline 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 stretching from Iran [br]through Pakistan to India. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And let's talk about Iran. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Wasn't it just two years ago[br]that war with Iran seemed inevitable? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Than why is every single major power[br]rushing to do business there today? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot[br]guarentee 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that WWIII will not break out. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But we can definitely see[br]why it hasn't happened yet. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Even though Asia is home[br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to the world's fastest growing militaries, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 these same countries are also[br]investing billions of dollars 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in each other's infrastructure[br]and supply chains. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They are more interested[br]in each other's functional geography 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 than in their political geography. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And that is why their leaders[br]think twice, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 step back from the brink, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and decide to focus on economic ties[br]over territorial tensions. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So often it seems like the world[br]is falling apart, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but building more connectivity[br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is how we put Humpty-Dumpty[br]back together again, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 much better than before. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And by wrapping the world[br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in such seamless physical[br]and digital connectivity, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we evolve towards a world[br]in which people can rise above 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 their geographic contraints. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We are the cells and vessels[br]pulsing through 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 these global connectivity networks. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Everyday, hundreds of millions[br]of people go online 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and work with people they've never met. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 More than one billion people[br]cross borders every year.