Unlike Europe, integration in Asia has been a slow burner, but it's catching up fast. There is no better example of this than what's happening in Central Asia. This is a map of Kazakhstan, the world's largest inland nation. Yet it literally connects the West and the East. Across the border is Khorgos, the most important trading hub along the ancient Silk Road. But as the famous old route lost its significance, so did the city. Fast forward to the 21st century, the Belt and Road initiative has breathed new life into Kazakhstan and, indeed, Khorgos. Herders have turned into traders, camels into trains. This is Asset Seisenbek. He is the Commerce Director of Khorgos Gateway. In just three years, the Gateway has become the largest dry port in the world. Infrastructure has connected and empowered central Asia. It is no longer in the middle of nowhere, it is a hub connecting everywhere. An 800-hectare megacity is being built in the desert, which straddles both China and Kazakhstan. Sounds ambitious, perhaps. But actually, it is only a precursor to what is yet to come. From East Asia to Central Asia, from the Middle East to Europe, the biggest land mass on the globe will become the largest economic community the world has ever seen. The face of the earth and the fate of humanity will be reshaped. And integration will be a reality for all.

There is another story of connectivity happening around the world and it happens on your phone. With a growing tech-savvy middle class, Asia is the new frontier for the e-commerce boom. Some say e-commerce and cashless payments are among the new great Chinese inventions of the 21st century. In March of last year, Chinese tech billionaire Jack Ma once again became the figurehead of the revolution. He and the Malaysian government launched a Virtual Free Trade Zone, which aims to digitize cross-border trade. China’s e-commerce industry continues to reshape how people trade and consume; only now, it's on a much larger scale, and involving a greater number of people all around the world. 

As to where better integration can lead to, well, we're limited perhaps only by our imagination. If history is any indication, we can safely say that connectivity is the greatest inspiration for all human activity. And China has just begun to play this critical role, by emerging as the biggest connector in Asia and the world. Integration has just begun, and competitive Asia's future will be one of the biggest, and perhaps the most fascinating stories the world has ever told. And that is precisely why we should all listen to the ideas and what is being said at the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia.