In recent years Asia's insurance markets have changed from un important to attractive. They fared 1 than Western markets during the financial crisis. The region is now 2 to contribute more than half of global 3 growth over the next ten years. A scramble is 4 for the best assets, with over $100 billion in acquisitions seen in Asia since 2009. Western insurers, such as Canada's Manulife and Britain's Prudential, have been busily knitting together regional operations to 5 . AIA, a regional insurer that was 6 part of AIG, agreed a $1.8 billion deal in early October to buy the Malaysian life-insurance assets of ING, a Dutch firm. Kevin Strain, head of Asia for Sun Life, a Canadian insurer with 7 across the region, thinks his firm can double last year's local earnings by 2015. Such 8 are understandable: Asia's ageing populations and growing middle classes mean that the market will 9 to grow. But foreign firms will find the road ahead 10 ，argues a new book by two McKinsey consultants. Regulatory problems and distribution headaches are two obvious obstacles, but the biggest 11 comes from the rise of strong local rivals. In some countries, domestic insurers dominate simply 12 the playing field is heavily tilted. Other bits of the region, such as South-East Asia, are open to new 13 companies. Not every such newcomer is Western, 14 . A number of Asian buyers are also on the march. Asian insurers may be gaining momentum but that does not mean life will be easy for them, 15 . Many are now publicly listed, which brings unfamiliar pressure from shareholders: investors get 16 of endless capital calls from growth-obsessed managers. Regulators are 17 increasingly pushing insurers to shift from sustainable growth to sustainable profitability. For their part, Western firms are still a force 18 they must work harder than they did in the past. Some are finding particular opportunities, such as wealth-management products. America's CIGNA has 19 a profitable way to use telemarketing; Nextia, a subsidiary of AXA Japan, has developed an online insurance business. 20 Joe Ngai, one of the authors of the new book, puts it: "there is no low-hanging fruit left in Asia.”