India, Jan. 25 -- The United States has long been the architect of the post-World War II international system-anchoring NATO, underwriting global trade, and projecting liberal democratic ideals. Yet the erosion of US credibility-from Iraq to Afghanistan, from the Trump administration's retreat from multilateralism to Biden's uneven follow-through-has left allies questioning Washington's reliability. The perception of decline is not merely about military overstretch; it is about political dysfunction at home and a loss of moral authority abroad.

China has moved swiftly to fill this vacuum through economic statecraft-the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has extended China's reach into over 140 countries, offering infrastructure and loans whe...