Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has described the United States as having “deliberately become a lonelier power”, saying a radical repositioning of Washington and the rise of China are reshaping the global landscape.
Speaking at the 62nd Munich Security Conference, Jaishankar said the international order was being defined by sharp US-China competition, growing self-reliance among emerging and middle powers and a push to diversify partnerships and reduce risks.
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“No one in the room would disagree with the fact that the landscape today is primarily marked by a radical repositioning of the United States,” Jaishankar said.
He described the repositioning as “a posture of choice” and said the US had “deliberately become a lonelier power”.
CHINA’S RISE ANOTHER KEY FEATURE
Jaishankar said the second major feature of the current international landscape was the rise of China.
He pointed to China’s economic strength, saying it accounts for about one-third of global manufacturing and that its economic capabilities are translating into political influence.
“China, which sees itself as a unique country that is in a way both its self-perception, in many ways, also the reality,” Jaishankar said.
He said the world was witnessing “very sharp competition” between the US and China, with the rivalry extending beyond the two countries.
“That competition today, not limited to these two countries, has led to a weaponisation of any leverage that any country has,” he said.
At the same time, Jaishankar said this competition coexists with the “complexity of interdependence”.
MIDDLE POWERS SEEK MORE SELF-RELIANCE
Jaishankar said emerging and middle powers were becoming increasingly aware of their own interests and were seeking greater self-reliance.
“What unites the emerging and middle powers, differentiated as they may be, is a growing self-awareness of their interest,” he said.
“All of them, in a way, are becoming more self-reliant. It’s a term, ‘Atmanirbhar’, very much in vogue in India as well,” he added.
According to Jaishankar, these countries are increasingly assessing what they can bring to the table when they participate in discussions and negotiations.
He said most emerging and middle powers are now focused on diversification and de-risking, extending beyond their economies and security concerns.
“They are developing agenda-based cooperation,” he said.
‘IDENTITY OF VIEWS’ NO LONGER NECESSARY
Jaishankar said emerging and middle powers were also working towards more resilient supply chains and developing new arrangements.
He argued that countries no longer need complete agreement on every issue to work together.
“The operating principle for emerging and middle powers should be, and perhaps is already, a reasonable degree of convergence,” he said.
“The days when you have to have an identity of views or a very strong congruence of interest, I think that’s too high a bar today,” he added.
Jaishankar said countries could work together if they had enough common ground.
“If you have enough touch points, that is good enough for countries to work together,” he said.
He added that through “de-risking, diversifying, and hedging”, a new global architecture was slowly taking shape.
QUAD, BRICS AMONG NEW COOPERATIVE ARRANGEMENTS
Jaishankar said emerging and middle powers could cooperate with each other while also maintaining ties with both the US and China, provided they did not have direct clashes of interest.
He cited several examples of such cooperation, including the Quad.
On connectivity, he pointed to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, the International North-South Transport Corridor and the Northern Sea Route.
Jaishankar also cited BRICS as an example of countries coming together because their collective voice can be stronger than that of individual countries.
“BRICS is an example of various parties who feel that their collective voice is much stronger than the individual ones,” he said.
He also referred to the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, both initiatives led by India.
‘TODAY’S EVOLVING GLOBAL ORDER’
Jaishankar said countries were increasingly coming together when their interests required cooperation, even when they were not among the world’s leading powers.
“They come together where their interests require them to do so: they find working arrangements, develop an agenda, develop organisations, develop habits of cooperation,” he said.
He described this as part of the world’s “evolving global order”, shaped by countries seeking flexibility, resilience and partnerships based on areas of common interest.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
