Asia Power index, 2021

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About the index-

• It is an index that measures resources and influence to rank the relative power of states in the Indo-Pacific, published by the Lowy Institute annually from 2018. 
• The Index ranks 26 countries and territories.
• The index evaluates international power in Asia through 128 indicators across the following eight thematic measures:
• Resources: 
  1. Economic capability (17.5%)
  2. Military capability (17.5%)
  3. Resilience (10%)
  4. Future resources (10%)
• Influence:
  1. Economic relationships (15%)
  2. Defense networks (10%)
  3. Diplomatic influence (10%)
  4. Cultural influence (10%)

• As per the index the Covid pandemic has driven down the power of Asian giants like China and India in the Indo-Pacific region and has weakened their capacity to shape the external environment.
• It said that the US managed to expand its power through better diplomacy and retained its position as the most influential nation in the region.

• India is the fourth most powerful country in the region after the US, Japan and China.

• It said that India saw a loss of ranking in critical parameters like diplomatic influence and economic relationships in the last one year.
• India also lagged in economic diplomacy, dropping one place to finish eighth behind Thailand in the economic relationships measure.
• Japan and India, the two with the most potential to contribute to a regional multipolar order, lost more ground in 2021 than China.
• Overall, the USA topped six of the Index’s eight measures in 2021, up from four last year.

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