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Regional Blocs Appearing and Increasing Around the World

Power struggles between nations around the world have always been a part of human history. But lately, more and more regional blocs have made an appearance.

Much of Northern Africa, especially the nations of the Sahel, have experienced an increase in the number of political coups, civil wars and Islamic insurgencies. This region has experienced seven coups over the past three years alone, according to Voice of America, with several military-run nations entering a new phase of cooperation.

Elsewhere, the Israel-Hamas war has entered its first-month anniversary, notes National Public Radio, and the Russian war on Ukraine continues. In the Caucasus region, there is mounting concern that Azerbaijan will invade Armenia and seize territory to unify Baku’s borders.

The South China Sea recently saw a Chinese Coast Guard vessel collide with a naval vessel belonging to the Philippines in a dispute over territorial waters. The Balkans haven’t been spared from chaos either, while Moldova has once again accused Russia of meddling in its elections.

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Increased Cooperation in Central Asia

Not everything is chaotic, however. The Central Asian states have increased cooperation, although tensions between the nations remain. India and Japan continue to move towards greater economic cooperation outside of AUKUS.

Many Nations Are Forging New Relationships

Between 1945 and 2008 much of this cooperation, excepting Africa, would have been unthinkable. However, global and regional power centers have shifted to such an extreme that many nations are forging new relationships to protect their interests.

When Kosovo declared its independence in early 2008, it was quickly recognized by Washington, which, in turn, angered Russia. In response, Moscow initiated an invasion of Georgia the following summer, annexing two regions on the shared border according to History.com.

With U.S. forces engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan at the time, Washington was unable to dissuade Russian action. Borders in Eurasia were now allowed to shift, bringing the post-Cold War era to an inauspicious end.

According to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Russia would go on to annex Crimea in 2004 and move its forces to Syria in support of the weakened Assad regime of the time. Those actions brought into question Washington’s ability to contain Russia’s revanchist activities to correct post-Cold War losses.

Russia invaded Ukraine again, but Moscow found that its attempts to regain lost territories has now reached its limit. The damage had been done during the last 14 years, however, leading many other nations to question what or who would stop their attempts to correct the historical anomalies of the 20th century.

Russia has overreached itself, and China is facing economic and demographic decline. The U.S. is seemingly unwilling or unable to intervene in so many theaters to prevent this burgeoning global realignment.

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The Motivations Behind the Formation of Regional Blocs

Some nations – or in some cases individuals – have been motivated to act if the global and regional powers of the very recent past will not step in. In West Africa, we’ve seen multiple coups. In the face of threats, new military juntas have offered aid to one another to further dissuade external action.

While this regional bloc in West Africa is not yet a formal bloc, it is trending in that direction. The same can be said for East Asia, where Japan and South Korea have laid aside some profound issues to focus on the threat from China and North Korea.

The Philippines, which has significant issues with Japan, has opened the door to increased economic and military cooperation to tackle the shared threat Japan and the Philippines face from China. The U.S. is involved with South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines by treaty, but the fact that these nations have moved to closer cooperation on their own is quite telling about how they view shared global security issues. 

In Central Asia, we see the Central Asian states moving towards formal cooperation beyond Russia and even among ethnic Turkic peoples, that dialogue has taken on new importance. The Turkic population stretches from modern Turkey to Western China, and Ankara has been attempting to marshal this force into something formal.

Both Russia and China see this situation from Turkey as a challenge, but they haven’t been able to do much to prevent it. It is unlikely to change, and Turkey’s importance will continue to grow as a result.

In the Middle East, the struggle for influence between Iran and many of the Arab states will not diminish, especially during the Israel-Hamas war. A single bloc is unlike to rise in this region and the struggle for supremacy will continue, with extra-regional actors trying to influence events as has been the story in the Middle East for millennia.

Some Regional Blocs Will Seek Other Options for Economic and Security Cooperation

The emergence of regional blocs is certainly not final, nor are they likely to be comprised of the nations that are now involved in power struggles. As regional powers like China and Russia continue to struggle with their current set of problems, emerging regional blocs will continue to look for alternative options for economic and security cooperation. 

William Tucker serves as a senior security representative to a major government contractor where he acts as the Counterintelligence Officer, advises on counterterrorism issues, and prepares personnel for overseas travel. His additional duties include advising his superiors in matters concerning emergency management and business continuity planning.

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