OPINION | 2026: Power Politics, China Challenge & Why India’s Security Choices Matter Now |
By Capt Kaustubh Rana (Retd)
The world is entering a phase of change unseen in a century. For decades after the Cold War, global politics rested on US leadership, open trade and international rules. That order is now weakening. Power not only rules but is increasingly deciding outcomes. For India, this shift is not theoretical-it has direct consequences for national security, economic stability and strategic autonomy.
A defining feature of this new era is that major powers are no longer pursuing limited objectives. They have open-ended and expanding aims. Russia seeks long-term influence over Europe’s political order. China is not only focused on growth; it aims to reshape Asia and challenge US primacy. These ambitions are structural and enduring, not tactical or temporary.
As global institutions weaken, strong states increasingly act outside established norms. Trade is weaponised, sanctions are routine and military pressure is openly used to alter realities. Institutions like the UN and WTO struggle to restrain the behaviour. For countries in contested regions - India foremost among them - this creates a harsher strategic environment.
Asia is now the central arena of global competition. China’s rapid military modernisation, tensions around Taiwan and Japan’s renewed defence........