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Economic integration supported by the financial strength of the states within a region has emerged as a significant trend in international relations. The emergence of this new trend is but a transition from a world dictated by geopolitical confrontation to a world depicting economic integration. The cold war era, and its end, gave birth to a policy field, namely “geo-politics”, which is drawing little interest from the states in contemporary times. The old institutions and the geopolitics-based policies created and nourished under the auspices of the US are becoming less effective, with countries losing confidence and willingness to rely on them. In contrast, the nations of the world are looking toward regional integration; ways to increase trade and grow their economies by integrating with their neighbors, often with the assistance of regional powers, to resolve their collective issues.
The unexpected end of the cold war benefitted the US most as it emerged as an earthly might. Its influence and dominance over its allies and nearly all the countries increased, and so did its reliance on hard power to achieve its interests. Although the use of military strength was a common practice during the cold-war period, it needed to be thrown into the dustbin of history as soon as the cold war reached its end; the countries in other parts of the world did dispose of such practice, but the US did not do so. It continued the geo-political confrontations- and most proudly. No doubt, it helped the US in achieving its interests. The strategies of the US were based on the zero-sum game, implying that the one party’s win (the US in this case) was at the expense of others (Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, you name it). Thus, the US is leading the world dictated by geo-political confrontation-based politics.
Interestingly, China was not interested in embracing the geopolitical policy field at all, for two reasons: one, the lessons learned from the Cold War rivalries, and the other, the broad-mindedness and long-sighted vision of its leader Deng Xiaoping who prioritised and advised the strengthening of the economy. His successor followed the path given to them by Deng. So, while the US was engrossed in spending millions of dollars on military, wars and foreign invasions to project its geopolitical might onto the global stage, the countries like China were working to strengthen their economies.
Even today, the US has not quit its geopolitical policies. It is unsuccessfully trying to defeat China, which has emerged as its international challenge on the economic front, with the same old tactics of geopolitical confrontation. AUKUS and QUADS are manifestations of her outmoded strategies. By spreading propaganda and provoking the people of Taiwan against China, the US is constantly attempting to make China do against Taiwan exactly what the Russian president did against Ukraine. However, the Chinese are calculated and intelligent strategists who are less likely to fall into the American trap. China may not engage in any limited or full-fledged war any time soon. China focuses on boosting its economy, expanding it, and connecting its neighboring countries through fascinating projects like BRICS and the Silk Road. In other words, China’s focus is on economic integration. It would be justified to say that China is leading the world that depicting economic integration.
Besides China, numerous other countries, especially those on the developing path, have learned from the cold-war experience that the geopolitical confrontation-based policy field is detrimental to the national and public interests. In this way, efforts of regional integration to boost one’s economy and establish strong ties with neighbours to increase trade and connectivity has become a priority for almost every state. An immediate consequence of such a change in preferences is a massive increase in the number of Free trade agreements and regional organizations around the world.
Although the trend of integration is a post-world-war II phenomenon, the then version of it could not last for long and died out in the next two decades. A new trend of integration began in the 1990s owing to the loss of trust by the developing countries in the liberal economic models dictated by the developed countries. The countries of the developing world began to explore ways to grow their economies and compete with the developed part of the world. Onwithersheys is, of course, regional integration which allows the states to come under one umbrella and together compete with the economically powerful and imperialist nations. Because of its advantages, the trend fascinated all parts of the world, and ultimately the process of coming together and joining hands for economic interests has widened since last decade. Today regional integration is nearly ubiquitous with numerous regional organizations, such as ASEAN, SCO, SAARC, AU, GCC, etc, working in different regions. Although not all of them have been successful it shows, at least, the willingness of the states toward integration.
So attracting and powerful is the phenomena of economic integration is that it has the inherent capability to turn foes into allies. The best example is the improvement in the ties between China and Russia. Although both countries had been adversaries during the cold war and engaged in all those activities against each other that potential enemies can do. Yet, Sino-Russian ties improved, thanks to Shanghai Cooperation Organisation which played an important part in bringing both these states closer and increasing their bilateral trade. Later, they settled their territorial disputes peacefully in October 2004 through a comprehensive agreement. Not only has the bilateral relationship between the two become more substantial, but to such an extent that today both China and Russia are considered the twin engines of SCO. Both nations played, and continue to play, a significant role in making the SCO succeed by bringing the member states closer and promoting trade among them. If there is willingness, there is a strong possibility of Pakistan and India improving their ties through SAARC by making the organization effective and ultimately settling their disputes, as did Sino-Russia.
Based on mutual interests and win-win conditions, the trend of economic integration reflects the change in the strategic thinking that more and more countries are eager to adopt. Regional connectivity, trade and cooperation are going to rule the world. Economic integration is overshadowing the geopolitical confrontations.
Politico Being 