"Gordon Brown has warned the next decade could be remembered as the "decline of the west" if it fails to grapple with the challenge of the rising Asian powers.

"In an interview ahead of the publication of an exclusive extract from his forthcoming book in today's Guardian, Brown was critical of public spending cuts which he said could rob western governments of the firepower needed to win business in China and India.

"He said western governments had 10 years to overhaul their economies, invest in hi-tech equipment and promote high-quality education."

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