The pandemic has upended many certainties. But it has reinforced one major trend in global politics: the rise of Asia. While the global economy crashed last year, economies such as Vietnam and China grew. A number of Asia's open societies have shown us how to successfully contain the virus. And without the leading vaccine exporter India, the world will not beat the pandemic.

As an exporting nation, Germany has long observed Asia's rise through the lens of economic opportunity. However, that falls short of the mark today. At the end of the day, the region's rise has created three Asias.