TOMORROW: South Asia and the Global South Amid Sharpening Great Power Rivalries

As U.S.-Russia and U.S.-China rivalries intensify in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where does South Asia stand? And how will its choices impact the Global South’s relations with the United States?

South Asia (especially India) has a rich history of articulating the case for the Global South through the Nonaligned Movement and the G77 grouping, and later through its elevated economic growth story. But Washington’s intensifying rivalry with Beijing has drawn starkly different responses in the region. While India and the United States both see China as a rival, Pakistan is a de facto ally of Beijing recently seeking to diversify its partnerships, and smaller South Asian states are caught in the middle. On Russia however, South Asia takes a much more benign view as indicated by recent votes at the U.N. on the Ukraine conflict. The Biden administration’s view of an existential struggle of “democracies against autocracies” finds few takers in the region. South Asia must also play its part in combating the threat of climate change, in which the United States has an abiding interest.

To unpack all these issues and more, the Quincy Institute presents a conversation between eminent strategic thinker — and former Indian National Security Advisor and Foreign Secretary — Shivshankar Menon and QI’s Director of Studies Sarang Shidore.

Can China and the U.S. Coexist Productively? A Conversation with Kevin Rudd

Please join us for a virtual discussion between Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia and now-President of Asia Society, and Michael D. Swaine, Director of the East Asia Program at the Quincy Institute.

While the Russia-Western confrontation over Ukraine currently dominates the headlines, the Sino-U.S. relationship remains the most consequential long-term great power relationship in the world. How Beijing and Washington engage one another strategically, politically, and economically will have an enormous impact on peace and prosperity across the globe. Unfortunately, both capitals are steadily moving toward an adversarial, zero-sum relationship that bodes ill for the future. It is no longer inconceivable to contemplate a military conflict between the two superpowers. 

How can this disastrous outcome be avoided? Kevin Rudd is extremely well qualified to offer an answer. He has deep, pragmatic experience and scholarly knowledge of China and its relations with the United States, Australia, and other nations. In his recent book The Avoidable War: The Dangers of a Catastrophic Conflict between the US and Xi Jingping’s China, he argues that it is possible for Beijing and Washington to coexist and prosper through a process of “managed strategic competition.” Rudd and Swaine will discuss his analysis and recommendations in support of that process.