"Growth in Asia will help drive the global economy, with Japan's expansion well established, " it said, adding that China's economy would continue to grow despite government efforts to cool its rapid expansion.

BBC: NEWS | Business | Metals boom drives profits at BHP

But the onetime British trading post's ascent into the stratosphere of the world's ultra-wealthy cities in recent years reflects a momentous shift in the global economy, as wealth settles in Asia after more than a decade of booming emerging-market growth.

WSJ: Wealth Over the Edge | WSJ.Money Spring 2013

Assuming that the WTO process is successfully concluded, what kind of opportunities do you see as they try to integrate further into the global economy, become more Asia-facing themselves in the process?

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama at the APEC Business Summit

Mr. Hong: Because we expect a slowdown in the global economy, our expectation is that inflation in Asia is likely to recede and become less of a concern over the course of the year.

WSJ: Pimco's Guiding Asia-Pacific's Investor Evolution: Ki Myung Hong

"In the event of a further slowdown in the global economy, our sense is that most economies in Asia have room for a strong policy response, " said Anoop Singh, director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department.

WSJ: IMF Says Asia Has Room for Stimulus

America's slump is likely to be deeper than in 2001 and Asia is now more integrated into the global economy than it used to be.

ECONOMIST: Decoupling 1: Emerging Asia

That concern is especially pronounced in Northeast Asia, the industrial heartland of the new global economy, because countries like China can afford to buy the latest military hardware.

FORBES: Japan Fighter Buy Bolsters U.S. Leverage In Asia

BNP's chief executive Jean-Laurent Bonnafe said he saw a "low-growth scenario in Europe" but that Asia would be among the bright spots of the global economy.

BBC: French bank BNP Paribas to cut costs as profits fall

In a spring swing through Shanghai, Beijing and Southeast Asia I kept looking for the pillars to sustain the global economy, even as the U.S., Europe and Japan must struggle a good while longer.

FORBES: Magazine Article