There is a school of thought in international relations that strips away the comforting language—the values, the norms, the rhetoric of solidarity—and looks at the world as it is. States pursue power. Interests are permanent. And the gap between what countries say and what they do is almost always explained by material calculation, not moral commitment. That school of thought is realism. And when you apply it to India, the picture that emerges is considerably less flattering

In May this year, Donald Trump flew to Beijing. This week, Xi Jinping returns the favour. The Chinese leader arrives in the United States on a state visit, with the two presidents set to meet on September 24. This is their second summit in under five months, and quite possibly not their last this year. But what exactly is happening between these two countries? Because on the one hand, Washington and Beijing seem to be finding ways to manage their differences. On the other, th

In this episode of PIC’s Global Compass, Pune International Centre explores one of the defining geopolitical questions of the twenty-first century — the rise of China and the future of the international order. From strategic rivalry with the United States to technology wars, institutional influence, de-dollarisation, and the India-China border dispute, this conversation examines how China is reshaping global politics and what that means for the emerging world order.

Xi dealt with Trump as his equal, pitting Beijing’s grand strategic concerns against Washington’s transactionalism. Yes, both sides outwardly agreed on some issues. But Beijing is playing a long game. By Manoj Kewalramani Read the full piece here

Chinese state media is depicting the summit as an opportunity for the United States to accept that the “right way” for the two powers to engage is as equals. By David Pierson & Berry Wang Access the full piece here

We are living through a moment of tremendous transformation. The post-Cold War order is over, and what replaces it is not yet clear. What is clear, however, is that the two countries with the most power to shape that answer are the United States and China. How they manage their competition—in fact, whether they can manage it at all—is a defining question of our era. That question was tested last year, as the two sides skirmished over trade and technology. It will be tested ag