- The geopolitical scenario in the last four years or so has undergone a palpable sea change is stating the obvious as the erstwhile superpower has ceded grounds to a wannabe and self-proclaimed superpower who is not hesitant to flex increasingly stronger economic muscles. Keen observers of global affairs would not hesitate one bit in mentioning that the strategic shift in the global power balance started when the previous dispensation of the USA headed by the mercurial Donald Trump let go of several opportunities to shed the tag of the sole superpower. The USA’s loss turned out to be an unexpected gain for the Chinese who hopped onto the same with gusto. The world is witness to what extent the Dragon Nation is positioning itself of late in its endeavor.
PC: Jason Lee
- As the maverick ex-president went about reversing well-established equitable world order, the proportionate rise in the aggressiveness, ambitions, and expansionist moves of the Chinese took concrete shape in a not-so-subtle manner. The resultant outcome is the despicable imperialist move on the crucial South China Sea, forceful curtailment of freedom in Hong Kong, unprovoked but unsuccessful step to usurp Eastern borders of Ladakh, India on the line of actual control (LAC) are few irksome actions that got the goat of the global community. Topping the list of misadventures emanating from the Dragon Nation are the ways and means adopted in suppressing the origin of SARS-Cov-2 resulting in the global pandemic wreaking unmitigated havoc across the globe.
- On the back of Quadrilateral alliance involving India, Japan, Australia, and the USA is taking concrete steps in thwarting increasingly adventurous designs of Beijing, comes the news that tensions between China and European Union (EU) have soared over the past week with each side imposing sanctions on the other. It comes as the UK, US, Canada, and EU is imposing sanctions on Chinese officials responsible for horrific human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Not to be left behind, China immediately hit back targeting even European parliamentarians with its sanctions. Compelled to retort, France, Germany, Denmark, and Belgium to summon Chinese envoys and lodge strong protests. The recipe for confrontationist world order is complete now.
PC: Kanwal Sibal
- As an indication of the issue spiraling out of control, the Chinese social media have called for a boycott of Western brands, which was duly followed by Chinese e-commerce giants dropping many from their platforms. What these moves from aggressive China confirm is that it would brook no criticism for egregious human rights violations even if it is against the established world orders. As a fallout, the global community is finding it increasingly difficult to do business with China as it attempts at weaponizing trade by using its huge market to punish those who are questioning out-of-sync practices. In this context, New Delhi’s then unpopular move of staying out of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) now looks like a real blessing in disguise.
- Herein lies an opportunity for India to make an impact on the world economic platform to utilize trade as a counter to a potent geopolitical weapon by looking for alternative setting up of resilient supply chains by facilitating adequate infrastructure solely based on trade pacts incorporating mutual respect and values. Consider our nation is no lesser market than the Chinese vis-à-vis huge potentialities and towards realizing this, the government should expend every possible effort by undertaking to encourage and facilitate possible relocation moves of business conglomerates to set up shop here.
