Geopolitics and the Shifting Balance of Power in Asia
Abstract: The unipolar moment that followed the Cold War is giving way to a more fluid and contested distribution of global power, and nowhere is this transition more visible than in Asia. This paper examines the geopolitics of Asia's rise with special reference to the triangular relationship between India, Russia, and China (RIC)- three Eurasian powers whose interactions increasingly shape the contours of the emerging multipolar order. The analysis traces the historical evolution of the RIC framework, evaluates the economic and strategic weight each power brings to the relationship, and discusses the frictions- most notably the unresolved India-China border dispute and India's deepening ties with the West- that complicate any notion of a unified Asian bloc. The paper argues that Asia is best understood not as a single "center of power" replacing the West, but as a contested space of overlapping partnerships, hedging strategies, and institutional experimentation, in which India's pursuit of strategic autonomy, Russia's pivot to the East, and China's assertive rise interact to produce a distinctly Asian variant of multipolarity. This research was conducted without the use of artificial intelligence tools or AI-generated content. All sources and analysis are the result of conventional academic research methods.
Keywords: multipolarity, strategic autonomy, RIC triangle, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Eurasia, Indo-Pacific
How to Cite?: Dr. Amit Chamoli, "Geopolitics and the Shifting Balance of Power in Asia", Volume 15 Issue 9, September 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1720-1723, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26926130252, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26926130252