Describes the economic success stories of Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore. Examines how these newly industrialized countries moved to the forefront of the world economy so rapidly. Examines the role played by America and Confucian beliefs in shaping the successful formula for East Asian capitalism and grapples with the question of the role of government in economic growth. Presents profiles and interviews of politicians and business leaders like former Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, and the chairman of South Korea's Hyundai Corp.

Program seven in the Pacific Century series, which studies the interconnections between Pacific nations - and between those nations and the United States - within a geographical, cultural, and historical framework.