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Context

The global order is shifting from US-led unipolarity to a multipolar system shaped mainly by intense US–China rivalry, giving it clear bipolar characteristics despite multiple power centres.

Evolving Global Order 

The post-Cold War era of a "unipolar moment," characterized by uncontested American dominance, has definitively ended. 

The contemporary international system is best described as a multipolar world with distinctly bipolar characteristics. 

Nations like the US, China, Russia, the EU, India, and Japan constitute multiple power centers, however,  global geopolitics competition is escalating between the United States and China.

Unlike the rigid ideological blocs of the Cold War, this new order is more fluid, with nations navigating the US-China rivalry rather than being locked into fixed alliances.

Key Actors and Their Strategic Objectives

The current global order is largely shaped by the strategic actions of the United States, China, and Russia. Each power is pursuing distinct objectives to secure its interests in this competitive environment.

United States: Strategic Competition and Alliance Realignment

Washington is moving from a "global policeman" role to a focused strategy of countering its main geopolitical rivals. Key aspects include:

• Focus on Great Power Competition: The 2022 National Security Strategy (NSS) labels China the "most pressing strategic challenge" aiming to reshape the international order, and Russia an immediate and ongoing threat.
• Investing Domestically & Strengthening Alliances: The US strategy focuses on boosting domestic industrial and technological power while rallying the "broadest coalition" of nations to increase collective influence and set 21st-century rules.
• Engagement in the Western Hemisphere: The US prioritizes stability and counter-narcotics in the Caribbean, vital to its national interests, through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI).

China: Reshaping the Global Order

Beijing systematically uses its economic power to boost military and geopolitical influence, seeking a Sino-centric world order. Its strategy includes:

• Sustained Economic Growth: The World Bank projects China's GDP growth to be around 4.9% for 2025, providing the financial foundation for its global ambitions.
• Rapid Military Modernization: For 2025, China announced a defense budget of about $249 billion, to fund the expansion and modernization of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
• Naval Expansion: The PLA Navy is the world's largest, with the U.S. Department of Defense's 2023 report noting it has about 370 ships and submarines, expected to reach 395 by 2025.

Russia: The Revisionist "Swing Power"

Despite economic limitations, Russia uses its significant military, nuclear, and energy power to challenge the security structure and project influence. Its role is defined by:

• Revisionist Goals: Moscow aims to revise the post-Soviet European security order and re-establish influence, evident in the Ukraine war.
• Strategic Partnership with China: Under Western sanctions, Russia has strengthened its "no limits" partnership with China. Both nations aim to challenge the U.S.-led global order and promote a multipolar world.
• Role as a "Swing Power": Russia's alignment with China creates a powerful Eurasian bloc. However, its own great power ambitions and potential friction over becoming a junior partner to Beijing make it a "swing power" that could recalibrate its relationships in the future.

Rise of Middle Powers and "Fluid" Geopolitics

The global order is now "fluid" due to middle powers' rising influence and autonomy. Unlike the Cold War, countries avoid rigid blocs, adopting flexible foreign policies to prioritize their own interests.

• Strategic Hedging: Middle powers (India, Türkiye, Brazil, etc.) and even traditional US allies are increasingly employing "strategic hedging": engaging with all major powers to maximize benefits and minimize risks, avoiding definitive alignment with the US or China.
• Rise of Minilateral and Multilateral Forums: Platforms like the G20 and the expanded BRICS (now including Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE as of 2025) highlight how middle powers are influencing global governance on key issues like climate, trade, and development.

India’s Strategy of Multi-Alignment

India has responded to the complex global order by moving from a policy of non-alignment to a more proactive and dynamic strategy of "multi-alignment" or "strategic autonomy." 

This approach allows India to engage with multiple power centers based on its national interests, rather than being confined to a single camp.

Multi-Alignment in Action: Case Study

Navigating Competing Blocs

India is a vital member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) with the US, Japan, and Australia, which is largely seen as a counter to China's influence. 

Simultaneously, it remains a key player in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and BRICS, platforms where China and Russia are dominant.

Independent Stance on Ukraine

India holds a principled, independent stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, supporting sovereignty and territorial integrity while abstaining from UN votes condemning Russia and avoiding Western sanctions. 

This approach protects long-standing defense and energy ties with Moscow while urging diplomacy.

Promoting Alternative Connectivity

India supports the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which was announced at the 2023 G20 Summit. 

IMEC is a transparent and viable alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), it aims to enhance connectivity and economic integration between Asia, the Gulf, and Europe.

Way Forward

The world is in a volatile geopolitical transition, marked by central US-China competition within a multipolar structure. Old certainties are gone, and new rules are emerging.

India should pursue multi-alignment, strengthening its comprehensive national power (economic, military, diplomatic) rather than choosing sides.

India can cement its role as a leading 21st-century power by effectively navigating the new world order through diverse, issue-based coalitions and strategic autonomy.

Source: THEHINDU