• The G7 summit at Hiroshima signaled Western unity against the challenges presented by Russia and China.
• The summit reflected the resilience of the Western alliance despite the many differences between the US and its partners.
• India participated in the summit as a guest nation, which shows the myth of multipolarity endures in Indian foreign policy discourse even as a bipolar world takes shape.
• India is nimbly adapting to the realities of a bipolar world; the Indian foreign policy discourse continues to be tied down by multipolar confusion.

Outcomes of G7 summit

• The G7 leaders reaffirmed their solidarity with Ukraine in its battle against Russia.
• Their aim was to reduce the disparities within the G7 regarding the approach towards managing the situation with China.
• The G7 statement skillfully handled the variations between the United States and Europe on China by affirming that they do not intend to "separate" from the Chinese economy and that they are not against China''s economic development.
• They agreed to reduce the risks associated with commercial relations with China by opposing China’s non-market policies and economic pressure.
• The G7 also emphasized the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and expressed their opposition to unilateral actions by China that seek to alter the territorial status quo in the South and East China Seas.

What is the meaning of a Multipolar world?

• Multipolar is about political resentment against the power of the US or more broadly the “collective West”.
• This tells us a lot about the anti-Western emotion in the Indian elite.
• It offers little help in understanding the geopolitical dynamic of the world.

Is a Multipolar World Emerging?

• The word Multipolar is often used far more analytically to describe the international power structure.
• The claim is about the weakening of American power since the heyday of the “unipolar moment” that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Uneven Distribution of Power

• While proponents of a multipolar world point to factors such as the consolidation of the EU, Russia''s resurgence, China''s rapid rise, Japan''s significant economic weight, and India''s emerging presence, it is crucial to note that power is not evenly distributed among these major players.

Limitations

• EU: Integration has made the EU a formidable entity but it still has a long way to go before becoming a credible geopolitical actor, lacking significant political and military influence.
• Japan: Despite being the world''s third-largest economy, Japan possesses limited military power and lacks the political will to engage in the use of force.

China''s Growing Power

• China is developing comprehensive national power that is comparable to the US.
• China is increasingly a peer competitor of the US on the economic front.
• China is beginning to challenge the liberal ideology of the West by offering an alternative political and economic model.
• However, China is yet to catch up with the sophistication of US technological power or match US’s military power.

India and other coutries

• India and countries like Brazil, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia are rising in the global power hierarchy, but have serious limitations.
• None of them can be expected to measure up to the capabilities of the US or China in the near future.

Strategies of Balancing Against Dominant Power

• “Multipolar world” is used with reference to strategies seeking to balance against the dominant power.
• Number of powers including India sought to develop political and institutional strategies against the dangers from unconstrained US power.

India''s Response to US Threats

• India joined the RIC forum with Russia and China and the BRICS also brought in Brazil and South Africa in response to twin threats from the US.
• During the 1990s and early 2000s, India believed the US was the main challenge and China and Russia were part of the answer to that challenge.
• Twin Threat: the US Administration’s policy on rolling back India’s nuclear and missile programmes and US activism on the Kashmir question.

How geopolitics is shifted for India?

• In the 21st century it was the US that took the lead to end India’s isolation from the global nuclear order while China has sought to block India’s membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
• The US no longer meddles in the Kashmir question, now it is China that mucks around in many ways — seizing territory, backing Pakistan, and raising the issue in international forums.

Challenges Presented by China

• China''s actions undermine India''s economic interests, counter its regional influence, and challenge India''s global aspirations.
• Russia, which previously helped India balance against China, is now moving closer to China.
• To counter China now, the United States and its allies in Asia have become important considerations in India''s strategic calculations.

Debates on World Polarity

• The governments face the pressing need to address immediate threats.
• In the face of mounting challenges posed by China in the 21st century''s second decade, India underwent significant shifts in its perspective.
• India introduced a new element by emphasizing the importance of fostering a "multipolar Asia" and embracing the Indo-Pacific concept.

India’s “multipolar world” of the 1990s was against US power through the RIC and BRICS. India’s “multipolar Asia” now focuses on balancing China through the Quad and partnerships with the US and its allies. As a bipolar framework envelops Asia, official India will continue to adapt its foreign policy.