The Age of Multipolarity: A New World Order, in order?

Aside from China, it is also evident for the EU to become another major pole in this structure. It can be seen from the effort to expand their economic power through trade means. According to WTO, the EU remains to be the most dynamic regional trade agreement with the share in export of manufactured goods reaching 34.3 percentage point in 2017. Furthermore, the EU has shown signs of expanding their economic territories outside the Blue Continent, which is to Latin America, through agreed trade deals with Mercosur just recently. Mercosur is a trading bloc consisting of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The deal between the two regional blocs is said to be able to bolster economic and job growth for their estimated 770 million populations who live in both continents. On top of that, the EU might reap more benefits through the small coalition made inside their continent, particularly consisting of Northern European countries, called the Hansa League as a possible vehicle in integrating EU's trade traditions. 

After knowing that China and the EU are throned to the other major poles, what will happen to other nations, perhaps the mid-sized countries, like India, Japan, Russia, or even the U.K., that are potential to be the next major poles? Well, it's still unarguably hard to determine whether such a big nation like India will have their own pole or in opposition, follow other major poles in this matter. In the case of India, it will depend on their degree of development and also, on how they can utilize their large number of populations to further support their economic growth. But it is with no doubt that New Delhi is targeting to be the next major pole and will be serving as a political and cultural bridge between China and the U.S . This strong drive to be the next major pole will also prompt India to form partnerships with various countries as an effort to maximize its authority. But in order for India to do that, it may seem more plausible for India now to pursue beneficial outcomes that come from partnerships with the U.S. to face the growing power of their (possibly) opponent, China, due to their history of hostile ties. It is also because the U.S. has been a historically-mutually beneficial partner in terms of exports, remittances' source, and even the well-known Indian diaspora matter. As for other countries like Japan, Russia, and the U.K., although they are becoming ambitious enough to be the other major poles, current circumstances show that they're still at crisis with their own identity simply because they're still lacking in terms of convincing other nations to follow their lead. On top of that, they're even still struggling to establish their own power in this world's economic competition. 

Ready or Not

Given those multipolarity signs that have mainly been discussed through an economic perspective, it has taught us that a new world order that we're talking about is going to happen, whether we're ready or not. There will also be a growing tension caused by unstable system in multipolarity between different major poles (The National Intelligence Council, 2008). It's because multipolarity is very complex and has wide options for the expansionist to expand and search for their opportunities. On top of that, this new order will further be coloured by two major tenets that will characterise the poles, which are market-based and state-managed society. Their opposing meaning will eventually add more tensions to emphasize the distinct nature of different major poles. 

In dealing with the multipolar systems, countries should be aware that building a coalition and participating in this game can be a preferable alternative, rather than isolating themselves. Finding and securing allies -- along with trying to improve their own coalitions and challenge the opposing ones, will be the kind of efforts we are bound to see in the near future, or starkly, now. In this matter, government will play a central role in related transition. Further, in the wake of the end of globalisation (or some people believe it as a new era of globalisation), this world needs to realise that we can't maintain current international institutions and order because they will grow to be defunct. It is best to consider forming or maybe, reforming, needs-based and more adapted international institutions to better serve the whole new society.