Similarly, common values and culture exist in Asia. Indeed, the former
Malaysian Prime Minister Mohammed Mahathir frequently used the term
"Asian values" and has ( c ) a distinct Asian model of development in contrast
to the Western model. In terms of culture, Chinese characters, form
the basis of a number of writing systems across East Asia; and even when
Chinese characters are no longer used (such as in Hangul), the roots of some
Korean words can still be clearly traced back to Chinese characters.
Furthermore, Buddhism and Confucianism are common religious and
philosophical elements that could ( d ) Asia together.