Lessons of Berlin Wall still resonate

The thousands of East Germans who pushed past guards at the Berlin Wall 25 years ago for the freedom of the West had little thought at the time for the implications of their actions. They wanted a better life and opportunities free from the shackles of the East German communist dictatorship, but their peaceful breaching of the barrier was also a symbolic victory in the worldwide struggle against oppressive regimes. Within months, a city and country were reunited, a divided Europe began moving closer with the collapse of the Soviet Union and a global cry for liberty was rapidly spreading. A quarter of a century on, there is a sense that new divisions are in the making that, should they be neglected or mismanaged, could again make the world an unstable, dangerous, place.

Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev articulated those concerns at celebrations in the German capital at the weekend, warning that a new cold war threatened, or perhaps had already taken root. His refusal to use force to prevent the breakup of the Soviet Union ensured the peaceful revolution that reshaped Europe after the collapse of the wall. But he blamed US triumphalism and an inability for global powers to prevent or resolve conflicts for subsequent tragedies in Yugoslavia, the Middle East and of late, Ukraine. In Asia, China's rise has also led to a deficit in trust and worrying strains with the US and Japan and their allies.

For Asia, there is a glimmer of hope. President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met for the first time yesterday to repair frayed relations, holding talks on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Beijing; there will also be much-needed discussions with US President Barack Obama. The US and European Union have been less cooperative with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, imposing sanctions over Ukraine. The anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall is a chance for reflection and a rethink; through cooperation and understanding, the mistakes of the past can be avoided.