Why in news?
Recent studies report that China aims to attain global supremacy through its economic and military capacity by outrunning U.S.
What is the history of International Order?
- In the 14th-15th century, Europe began to colonise and influence nations across the world through trade and commerce.
- Later various attempts were made to propel freedom struggles against western-centric perspectives.
- It was the Bandung Conference of 1955-a meeting of newly independent Asian and African states- set the schema for the rise of Asia, politically and economically.
- The third world countries struggled to create a parallel order forgoing imperialism and colonialism.
What are the dents in American Supremacy?
- Though U.S. plays a prime role in international affairs, its image of representing universal brotherhood has sharply declined.
- Erstwhile U.S. President threatened to withdraw from NATO, Paris Agreement, had racist obsession and his handling of immigrants has left the democratic world shock.
- There was rising tide of far-right ultra-nationalism and ethnic purity which was seen in the Brexit phenomena that has set in motion of wearing down the liberal democracy.
- Other threats such as terrorism, ethnic conflicts necessarily demanded joint international action where American exceptionalism becomes incompatible.
- This has chipped away the American global supremacy.
What is China’s approach?
- China is spearheading Asian regionalism but there is deep scepticism because of its self-enhancing economic and military greed.
- Its self-centered promotion of building its own stature- Belt and road initiative- has provoked a clash with India and Japan.
- So it must embrace multilateral affiliations and not create regional tensions.
- It is a world leader in renewable energy and a formidable actor on the global stage of investment and trade.
What can we infer from this?
- The world is now witnessing multifaceted transnational threats and needs a collective universal attention.
- The fragmentation of global governance consequently can no longer be handled solely by America.
- Thus, a more nuanced understanding of power in the circumstance of the declining authority of the West has to be arrived.
- The global power now gradually extends across a wider range of countries for a balanced world order.
- This allows for a multiple narratives to co-exist on the international level.
- The challenges of the 21st century can be met through mutual sharing of knowledge and more ground-breaking inclusive treaties.
- It is feared that there could be a possibility of a multipolar world turning disordered and unstable.
- But it is up to the rising nations to attempt to overcome territorial aspirations and the appeal of each society in terms of its democratic values.
- This requires a significant programmatic agenda in the hands of the developing nations.
Source: The Hindu
