New Centres of Power (European Union, ASEAN, BRICS) — Practice

Question 1

Describe the key features of the European Union that make it a significant centre of global power.

Accepted Answer

THE EUROPEAN UNION AS A GLOBAL POWER: The European Union (27 member states, population ~450 million) has several features that make it one of the world's most significant centres of power: (1) SINGLE MARKET: Goods, services, capital, and people can move freely within the EU. No internal tariffs. This creates a market of 450 million consumers — one of the world's largest. (2) COMMON CURRENCY (EURO): 20 of 27 EU countries use the Euro, with the European Central Bank managing monetary policy. The Euro is the world's second-largest reserve currency (after the US dollar). (3) SCHENGEN AREA: 26 countries with no passport checks at internal borders — a practical embodiment of European integration. (4) COMBINED ECONOMIC POWER: EU GDP of ~$18 trillion makes it comparable to the USA and China — the three economic superpowers. The EU is the world's largest trading bloc. (5) SOFT POWER: The EU exercises significant 'soft power' — its standards (GDPR for data privacy, product safety standards) are adopted worldwide. Countries that want to trade with the EU must meet EU standards, giving it regulatory influence far beyond its borders. LIMITATIONS: The EU has significant military weakness — it has no unified army and is divided on foreign policy. Two EU members are P5 (France + Germany is not P5; after Brexit only France is P5). This limits its hard power.

Question 2

Analyse China's emergence as a major global power since 1978. What are its strengths and how does it challenge the existing world order?

Accepted Answer

CHINA'S RISE SINCE 1978: The key turning point was Deng Xiaoping's 'Reform and Opening Up' policy (1978) which introduced market mechanisms into China's communist economy — allowing private enterprise, foreign investment (Special Economic Zones), and export-led manufacturing growth while maintaining Communist Party political control. GROWTH RECORD: China grew at ~10% per year for three decades — unprecedented in world history. It lifted 500+ million people out of extreme poverty. China overtook Japan as world's #2 economy in 2010. Today it is #2 by nominal GDP (~$18 trillion) and #1 by purchasing power parity (~$30 trillion). STRENGTHS: (1) MANUFACTURING: China is the 'world's factory' — the largest manufacturer and exporter. (2) BRI (Belt and Road Initiative, 2013): Infrastructure investment in 150+ countries creates trade and diplomatic leverage. (3) MILITARY: Second largest defence budget. Growing navy (aircraft carriers). Nuclear-armed. (4) TECHNOLOGY: Leading in 5G, AI, solar panels, electric vehicles. Huawei, Alibaba, TikTok are global companies. CHALLENGES TO THE WORLD ORDER: (1) South China Sea: China claims nearly the entire South China Sea as 'historic waters' — conflicting with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. The International Court of Arbitration ruled against China's claims (2016) — China rejected the ruling. (2) Taiwan: China claims Taiwan as its territory; Taiwan has been self-governing since 1949. US opposes any forcible unification. The Taiwan Strait is a potential flashpoint for US-China military conflict. (3) US-China rivalry: China's rise challenges US leadership in trade, technology (semiconductor restrictions), military power (Indo-Pacific), and global governance institutions. (4) Authoritarian model: China's success offers an alternative to liberal democracy — 'you can grow rich without being free.' This challenges the Western assumption that development leads to democratisation.

Question 3

The post-Cold War world has moved from unipolarity to multipolarity. Evaluate this shift using the EU, China, ASEAN, and BRICS as evidence.

Accepted Answer

FROM UNIPOLARITY TO MULTIPOLARITY: After the Soviet Union's collapse (1991), the USA was briefly the 'sole superpower' — economically, militarily, and culturally dominant. Francis Fukuyama famously proclaimed the 'End of History.' But the world has steadily moved toward MULTIPOLARITY — a distribution of power across multiple centres. Here is the evidence: THE EUROPEAN UNION: The EU represents the most successful REGIONAL INTEGRATION project in history. With ~$18 trillion GDP and 450 million people, the EU is an economic equal to the USA. In trade policy, regulatory standards (the 'Brussels Effect' — EU rules become global standards), and diplomatic weight, the EU is a genuine pole of power. HOWEVER: Military weakness limits the EU. It has no unified army, is divided on foreign policy, and depends on US security (NATO) for defence. Brexit (2020) weakened it. The EU is an economic superpower and a diplomatic midweight. CHINA: China's rise is the defining geopolitical event of the 21st century. From a poor, insular state in 1978 to the world's #1 or #2 economy, China has transformed the balance of power. China's BRI extends its infrastructure and diplomatic reach to 150+ countries. Its military is rapidly modernising. In technology, manufacturing, and development finance, China offers a genuine alternative to American-dominated institutions. China is the most serious challenger to US dominance since the USSR — but uses economic rather than ideological competition as its primary tool. ASEAN: The 10 ASEAN states don't individually challenge the global order, but collectively they matter. ASEAN's Strait of Malacca controls ~$3.5 trillion in annual trade. ASEAN has made the Indo-Pacific a zone of competition between the USA, China, India, and Japan. The 'ASEAN Way' — consensus and non-interference — has created a regional forum that larger powers must work through, not over. BRICS: BRICS represents the aspirations of the 'Global South' — countries that want reform of the Western-dominated international order (IMF, World Bank, UN Security Council). The New Development Bank (2014) offers an alternative to World Bank financing. BRICS's 2024 expansion (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE) shows its growing appeal. BUT: BRICS is weakened by India-China rivalry and Russia's international isolation after Ukraine. It is more an aspiration than a coherent alternative order. CONCLUSION: Multipolarity is real but UNSTABLE. The EU is a power in economics, not hard power. China is rising in every domain but is authoritarian. ASEAN is strategically important but internally divided. BRICS is too contradictory to be a coherent bloc. 'The 21st century world is not unipolar, not bipolar — but multipolar, with all the instability and opportunity that implies.'

Practice — New Centres of Power (European Union, ASEAN, BRICS)

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