Full Breakdown
US “Lonelier Power” and China’s Rise Highlighted at Munich Leaders Meeting
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event – Jaishankar’s Assessment of a Shifting Global Order
On October 4, 2026, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the 62nd Munich Leaders Meeting in New Delhi. He argued that the international landscape is now defined by two major developments: a “radical repositioning” of the United States that has made it a “lonelier power,” and the accelerating rise of China.
Background & Context
The Munich Leaders Meeting, organized by the Munich Security Conference, convenes senior decision-makers under Chatham House rules to discuss security and foreign-policy issues. Jaishankar’s remarks came amid debate about whether recent U.S. policy changes reflect temporary administration-level shifts or deeper structural trends. He noted that several initiatives launched under former President Donald Trump have persisted under President Joe Biden, suggesting a longer-term evolution in U.S. strategy.
Data & Statistics
- China’s manufacturing share: roughly one-third of global manufacturing (Mathrubhumi).
- Emerging-power initiatives: Jaishankar cited the Quad, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, the International North–South Transport Corridor, the Northern Sea Route, the International Solar Alliance, and the Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure as examples of new cooperative frameworks.
Official Statements & Responses
Jaishankar framed the U.S. “lonelier” posture as a deliberate choice rather than a consequence of diminished capability, emphasizing continuity in policies such as an emerging industrial strategy. Regarding China, he highlighted its self-perception as a “unique country” and its growing economic clout, which is translating into greater political influence.
He argued that emerging and middle powers are increasingly “self-reliant” and pursuing “diversification and de-risking” across economic, security, and strategic domains. According to Jaishankar, these states are willing to cooperate with both the United States and China when interests align, citing the Quad and BRICS as platforms where collective voices outweigh individual ones. He warned that the United Nations faces visible gridlock and that smaller, issue-based groupings could reshape multilateralism.
Why It Matters – Implications for Multipolarity and India’s Role
Jaishankar’s analysis suggests a move toward a more fragmented, multipolar world where no single power can dominate the agenda. For India, the assessment underscores a strategic opportunity to leverage its demographic and economic momentum to ascend the global hierarchy without following the traditional industrialisation path of earlier powers. By championing flexible, agenda-based cooperation, India aims to position itself as a bridge between competing blocs, preserving autonomy while influencing the evolving architecture of international relations.
Verbatim Quotes
- “No one in the room would disagree with the fact that the landscape today is primarily marked by a radical repositioning of the United States. A repositioning which is a posture of choice and, in a way, it has deliberately become a lonelier power,” — Jaishankar, external affairs minister
- “China, which sees itself as a unique country that is in a way both its self-perception, in many ways, also the reality,” — Jaishankar, external affairs minister