The architecture of post-war economic governance is under visible strain, and China stands at the centre of the turbulence. Working within Bretton Woods institutions while simultaneously building new platforms of influence, Beijing has blurred the line between reform and revision. As global power shifts and coalitions fragment, can India afford to rely on old multilateral pathways?
Post-war economic institutions continue to be out of sync with changing global realities. The lack of consensus on how to reform them has further deepened the divide between the Global North and the Global South. Meanwhile, China’s economic rise has become a major concern in global economic governance for members of both blocs. Despite its partial assimilation into the global economic system, Beijing’s efforts to reform existing institutions or create new ones have raised concerns about the implications for multilateral economic institutions.