Shifts in the Global Balance of Power (2021–2024)  The AUKUS Alliance as a Case Study

Research Idea: Established in 2021, the AUKUS alliance, comprising Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, represents a significant strategic initiative aimed primarily at containing China’s growing influence. The alliance has generated strong international reactions, most notably the deepening strategic rapprochement between Russia and China.

Objective: This research analyzes shifts in the global balance of power during the period 2021–2024 by examining the impact of the formation of AUKUS on geopolitical dynamics, particularly on relations between Russia and China.

Methodology: The research adopts a descriptive-analytical approach to examine the geopolitical context that led to the formation of AUKUS, as well as the motivations underlying, and manifestations of, Russian-Chinese rapprochement.

Results: The findings indicate that, despite its stated objectives, AUKUS primarily represents an effort by the United States and its allies to constrain China’s rise. This strategy of containment extends beyond the military sphere to encompass economic and technological dimensions.

Conclusion: The alliance has generated economic repercussions for China and Russia, including increased defense spending, efforts to develop alternative economic strategies, and effects on trade and investment. It has also had political repercussions, including heightened geopolitical tensions, the strengthening of countervailing alliances, and changes in the foreign-policy orientation and international standing of both countries.