Unipolar versus multipolar multilateralism

THE United States-China rivalry is often cast as an existential debate over different worldviews, values and beliefs. Deep down, there are different definitions of what multilateralism means in a crowded world.

Multilateralism is defined by Encyclopedia Britannica as the “process of organising relations between groups of three or more states” that binds them through common interests, mutual reciprocity (give and take) and similar values or ideology.