Reading "The Asian Military Revolution"

I have just finished reading this book, "The Asian Military Revolution: From Gunpowder to the Bomb (New Approaches to Asian History)" by Peter A. Lorge. It talks about how, while Western civilisation was changed by the introduction of gunpowder, Asian countries were not. This is because Asian countries already had the political, economical and social background to allow gunpowder (and guns and cannons) to be used on a large scale, but Western countries had to change their political, economical and social structure in order for them to employ guns/cannons on a large scale. It was not Western countries, with their guns, that allowed them to dominate the world for the past few centuries. Rather, it was because Asian countries had their own internal problems and weaknesses during that same period of Western expansion, that allowed the Western countries to be able to exert their influence in Asia.

It led me to think, maybe the author is correct. Because in China's history, there have been many instances in which a weak government resulted in China being invaded and ruled by the tribes from the northern steppes. But if this is true, the international system and standards that have become a part of our life may change. Because these are Western systems and standards that became widespread with the expansion of Western influence, and if Asian countries regain their past influence, they may well impose their own systems and standards (as they had in the past).

Another thought: when the Western countries came into Asia, they were able to exert their influence because Asian countries were in a time of internal problems. It probably led Western countries to think that their system is superior to the Asian ones, and leading them to attempt to force their "better" system onto Asians under their control. Now, we are used to the Western systems, but are they really suitable for Asian cultures? Will we see a return to a world of varying systems instead of a universal (ie. Western) system?