Russia-India-China, a distant dream, or a practical possibility?

When you think of these three countries, you may think of a power tussle between the three for domination in Asia. Yes, it is largely true. But, what I, as an Indian see, is a very powerful bloc that has the power to completely shake up the world order.

Russia, an energy powerhouse, has always been a dominant military power capable of power projection way beyond its borders. Although today, Russia may be in a weaker position economically, it still wields significant power on the world stage because of its permanent membership in the UN Security Council. Having one of the largest militaries in the world, Russia, by herself is a force to be reckoned with in modern times.

China, an economic Titan, is on pace to beat the US, if not already beating it in many aspects at present.  The military power of China is also great beyond any doubt, and the delicate tendency of China having a stable government unlike many rogue states, (although under a certain Xi, China is certainly headed in that direction) lends a degree of credibility to China's position as a great power in the world today.

India, one of the fastest growing major economies with the world's 5th largest GDP and the 4th largest military power in the world, is on the verge of becoming a great power on the world stage, being able to extend her influence beyond regional matters, to becoming an important force in world politics. The world is paying close attention to India as she makes her moves on the geopolitical chessboard, and so far, her moves are unique compared to any other great power that came before it.

Take these three countries, a formidable military, an economic powerhouse, and a different approach to geopolitics. What do you get?

The answer: An alliance that, if implemented on the ground, has so much power that within days of its creation, it would turn the present world order on its head. An alliance that can single-handedly end Pax Americana, that has been considered to be the norm for decades, and change the course of history as we know it. It would be equivalent to a geopolitical checkmate against the West and her allies on a global scale.

But, there are multiple issues plaguing this alliance, which in my opinion would make this alliance virtually impossible in modern times. 

Russia and India are, and always have been on good terms since Soviet times, and Russia is still considered to be a major trading partner of India, as Russia is India's number one crude oil supplier because of the Ukraine crisis, and a majority of India's defence imports still come from Russia.

Russia and China, are also on good terms at present, with many converging interests on worldview, and similar opinions on the domination of the US in geopolitics today. They both provide support to North Korea and generally agree on issues on the world stage regarding trade, and diplomacy.

But, a triangle is made up of three sides. We discussed about two of them, but what about the third? Well, that's where the problem lies. India-China relations are almost at a historic low, with border clashes becoming commonplace, and China vying for influence in the Indian Ocean region with its Belt and Road (BRI) Initiative. Its expansionist moves in the Indian subcontinent today, and the two countries' diverging worldview puts this largely hypothetical alliance in jeopardy.

Despite these hiccups, with an efficient framework, sincere negotiations, and full-scale commitment from all three sides, this alliance may very well be possible, and the creation of a multipolar world order from there, would be just a matter of time.