In a move that will have a significant bearing on the evolving global order, Finland on Tuesday joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as its 31st member. Finnish president Sauli Niinisto suggested it was “a great day for Finland” and NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg called it a proud day for him and the alliance.
In the last few days, global engagements have underscored the rapidly evolving balance of power in the international order. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Russia has sparked a lot of commentary about the implications of the two nations coming together in unprecedented ways. What had once seemed a distinct possibility to many is now fast becoming an indisputable reality that can no longer be ignored. The tectonic plates of global politics are shifting rapidly, and with it ushering in changes that have long been talked about, with many hoping against hope that they can be avoided. But a Russia-China axis is likely to bring a transformative effect on the international system. This cannot be denied.
India’s desire to reconfigure the global balance of power is predicated on its ability to become an indispensable element in the global economic order. Thus, it is not surprising that the new foreign trade policy seems to shed the reticence of the past
Even as the global economic order continues to face multiple challenges that show no signs of abating anytime soon, the Indian economy has shown great resilience. It has come out of the Covid-19 pandemic in much better shape than most other big economies and its growth trajectory has maintained an upward trend despite problems emanating on the geopolitical and geo-economic front virtually on a regular basis. As the IMF has suggested, India continues to remain a relative “bright spot” in the world economy with the Indian economy alone contributing 15% of the global growth in 2023.
Harsh V. Pant, Premesha Saha The visit by the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, to India, in March 2023, during which he engaged with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, on global and bilateral issues, focused on cooperation between the G-7…
Proactively taking advantage of China’s involvement in the Taiwan Strait to fight China in multiple theatres is something Indian military planners should think about.
Major power polarization is today the wider structural reality that is shaping the contours of the emerging global order, and it is a warning sign for all nations, including India, of what is likely to come.
Beginning his three-day state visit to Moscow on March 20, China’s President Xi Jinping stated that relations with Russia are based on “no-alliance, no-confrontation and not targeting any third party”, even though “in a world of volatility and transformation, China will continue to work with Russia to safeguard the international system”. The joint statement issued after talks stated that bilateral relations have “reached the highest level in history”. President Vladimir Putin and President Xi have met 40 times so far.