Part 13/16:
Wiker discussed the broader implications: China’s leadership under Xi Jinping aims to challenge U.S. hegemony, especially in the Indo-Pacific. The loose coalition of countries aligned against the West underscores a global shift toward a less unipolar world with multiple centers of power. This coalition’s growth complicates U.S. diplomatic and military strategies, especially as some nations—like India—navigate a careful balancing act between alliances.
He also emphasized that opportunities exist for the U.S. and its allies to leverage this geopolitical climate—by ending the Ukraine conflict through negotiations, perhaps reducing the impetus for Moscow’s strategic partnership with Beijing.