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by Lynn Ockersz

An inclination on the part of nuclear powers Russia, China and India, to sign the ASEAN - initiated Treaty of Amity and Cooperation and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's mention of his country's willingness to work towards "a multi-polar world order", in the context of Sino - India relations, highlight some of the tensions besetting current international politics.

For the three big players on the global stage, it is the spreading US presence in West, South West and South East Asia in particular, which is proving worrisome. It seems to be so also for the majority of ASEAN countries which see the US-led "battle against global terror" as a means of spreading the diktat of Washington in the region. Hence the decision by Russia, China and India to sign the treaty of Amity and Cooperation with ASEAN, which will essentially ensure a non-aggressive approach among these States in their mutual relations while consolidating cordiality among them. It is hoped that these strengthened ties will act as a buffer against the US military presence in parts of Asia, which is seen as spreading.

Vajpayee's current visit to China-the first in the past 10 years by an Indian Prime Minister to that country - should also be seen as an attempt by India to bolster its non-aligned status in its dealings with the world's foremost powers while indicating its willingness to foster or cement ties with them for the furtherance of mutual interests. One of these interests is the establishment of a counter-balance to the perceived spread of US influence in Asia and the fostering of a multiplicity of power centres in the world. In other words, "a multipolar world order".

These policy positions by States such as Russia and India, are likely to bring them into an increasingly frictional relationship with "sole super power", the US, although an imminent collision course among them clearly has to be ruled out.

For, it is equally evident that these principal powers also have a commonality of interests with the US which would ensure a close working relationship among them, although their ties are likely to be worked out on a somewhat uneasy footing. One of these is, ironically, the "terror threat" which prompted India to cooperate with the US' military incursion into Afghanistan and subsequently, its Iraqi invasion. The same would go for Russia, although it had policy differences with the US on its Iraqi operation.

Specifically, the festering conflicts in Chechnya and Kashmir will keep the "terror threat" alive, which in turn would have a solidifying impact on the US-led global coalition against terror. Nevertheless, the biggest global powers would also prefer to perpetuate their independence in relation to the US. Hence, their emphasis on a multi-polar global order and not a unipolar one, which, translated into simple terms would mean a world order led by the US.

The recent crisis in some of the big powers' relations with the US and Britain, over the latters' Iraqi military invasion, prefigured these growing tensions in International politics. While principal powers of the West such as, Russia, France and Germany, failed to find commonality with the US and its allies on the Iraqi incursion, their opposition failed to have a crippling impact on the US-led assault on Iraq and its subsequent occupation.

Apparently, inasmuch as "US hegemony" is opposed, there are needs the major powers of the West in particular have in common with the US, which ensure non-disruptive ties among them and the "sole super power".

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