New Powers: How to Become One and How to Manage Them (Columbia/Hurst)

Being new is never easy, especially in the anarchic world of international politics. New powers such as Brazil, China, and India have navigated difficult terrain as they negotiate their way to the top, signaling a sufficient level of conformity to diffuse tensions and avoid preemptive reprisals. Yet habitually conciliatory diplomacy can cast an emerging state as a lightweight or a pushover. Effective bargaining is therefore the key to balancing these extremes.

Established powers also need straightforward solutions to pressing dilemmas. If the aims of a new power are limited, then engagement is a worthwhile enterprise. If its aims are radically revisionist or revolutionary, then established powers may have to contain it. Assessing the intentions of new powers and responding appropriately is crucial for the maintenance of international peace. In this enlightening study, Amrita Narlikar pinpoints successful negotiating strategies for rising powers. Focusing on three of the most important candidates now vying for international recognition—Brazil, China, and India—she underscores the commonalities in their diplomatic efforts and isolates the striking differences. Her study aids both emerging players and established countries struggling to reconcile evolving balances of power.