After BRICS, it's time to navigate the realities of great power rivalries, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• The BRICS summit in New Delhi focused on the concept of "multipolarity" in global affairs.
• Global attention is shifting to upcoming meetings between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, signaling a move towards a "bipolar" or "G2/G3" world order.
• China accounts for approximately three-fifths of the combined GDP of BRICS nations, while the United States holds a similar proportion within the G7.
• The United States and China are identified as the primary powers capable of shaping the global economic order, technology standards, and supply chains.
• Russia maintains significant military and diplomatic influence, playing a role in balancing power between the United States and China.

Detailed Insights:

• Multilateral forums like BRICS, APEC, and G20 serve as crucial venues for bilateral discussions, despite often yielding limited collective progress.
• The current shifts in great-power politics are partly attributed to the disruption of US foreign policy under the Trump administration.
• The underlying cause of this geopolitical churn is a structural change in the global distribution of power, favoring the United States and China.
• Despite deep interdependence, the United States and China have significant disputes over trade, technology, and Taiwan.
• Potential US overtures to Russia and Russia's closer ties with China could lead to a "G3" world order.
• Disagreements between the United States and China at G20 finance ministers' meetings have hindered the forum's ability to take collective action on economic issues.
• India's aspiration for a multipolar world faces the reality of an intensifying great power competition.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Multipolarity: A distribution of power in which more than two major power centers exist, influencing international relations.
• Bipolarity: A distribution of power in which two major power centers dominate, shaping global dynamics.
• G2 World: A global order primarily dominated by two major powers, typically referring to the United States and China.
• G3 World: A global order dominated by three major powers, potentially including the United States, China, and Russia.