The bitter trade war between the United States (US) and China has both an economic as well as strategic dimension. As John Mearsheimer points out in his book, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics, “when you have power asymmetries, the strong are hard to deter when they are bent on aggression”. In 1990, Joseph Nye put forth the idea of soft power as an important force in international relations. There is no doubt that in this information age, soft power has its uses, but military power still remains the most essential component of a State’s ability to defend its national interests. In this backdrop, the real test for Singh will be in looking at our national security challenges as issues that could outlast his government, and crafting strategies with a long-term vision.

Source: Hindustan Times June 13, 2019 12:45 UTC