Here’s a โขbreakdown of the key arguments presented in the article, organized for clarity:
Central Thesis: The article argues that risingโค US tariffs under President Trump are โinadvertently fostering a stronger economic and strategic alliance between India, China, โand Russia – โฃa “India+2” dynamic that will reshape the global order.
Keyโ Points & Supporting Arguments:
1.Rise of a Massive โConsumer Market (Manishโ Bhandari): India, China, and โฃRussia collectively represent a huge andโฃ growing consumerโฃ base (3.1 billion people, 37.8% of the world’s population). This market is resilient and represents a significant economic force.
2. US โขDollar Dependence & Trade Wars (Sandeep Pandey): Trump’s tariffs are a way to maintain theโค US dollar’s dominance. โ Countries like India andโข China buying Russian oil in โlocal โcurrencies (avoiding the dollar) are โขseen โขasโ a challenge toโ this dominance,and the US is โคreactingโ to that. This is โfueling a potential “currency war.”
3. US Defense Market Controlโ (Sandeep Pandey): The tariffsโข are also aimed at maintaining โคUS dominance in global arms sales. The US is pushing countries to buy defense equipment from theโ US or NATOโ allies,โ attempting to exclude Russia and China (and to some extent, India).
4. Military โ& Energy Power (Manish Bhandari): โ The combined military spending ($549 billion – 20.2% of the world total) and energy consumption (35% of global consumption) of these โthree nations demonstrate their growing power โand influence.
5. Complementary Strengths & Partnership (Avinash Gorakshkar): โTheโ three countries have complementary economic strengths:
Russia: Cheap oil โand energy.
China: Manufacturing hub.
India: Service hub.
This allows forโ a mutually beneficial partnership. Trump’s tariffs are pushing India andโ China to collaborate to offsetโฃ lost export revenue.
6. India as a Dominating Partner (Manish Bhandari): Bhandari believesโข India will be the leading force in this alliance (“India+2” โคrather than “China+1”). Russia will provide resources,China will โinvest in India,and India will re-enter the global export market.
7. Bargaining Power โwith China (Gaurav Goel): โคthe alliance givesโ India leverage in negotiations regarding China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). US tariffs and trade barriers are weakening โChina’s manufacturing advantage, and companies are shifting supply chains to countries like India and Vietnam.
Overall Tone: The article is optimistic about the potential of this India-China-Russiaโข alliance, portraying โฃit as a natural evolution of the global economy and a challenge to US hegemony.It suggests that โTrump’s policies, while intended to benefit the US, are ironically accelerating the โrise of a new world order.