Foreign Policy Names Four True Great Powers Today
Foreign Policy says the US, China, Russia and Britain meet strict great power criteria as global rivalry enters a new phase of competition.
Columnists for the American outlet Foreign Policy believe the world has entered a new phase of great-power competition. In their view, only four countries currently meet the strict criteria for that status.
The publication identifies several key markers. The first is strategic independence. A great power does not act under outside pressure. It seeks to shape the global agenda and expects other states to take its interests into account. Such a country can interfere in the affairs of other states and support regime change, while trying to prevent rivals from doing the same. International law, the authors argue, is often applied selectively.
The second criterion is resources. This is not limited to economic strength. Military power also matters, with nuclear weapons playing a central role. According to Foreign Policy, not every nuclear state belongs in the great-power category, but every great power must possess nuclear capability.
Another factor is global reach. A great power must be able to project force beyond its own borders, deploy troops abroad, control strategic sea routes, maintain overseas bases and influence international institutions, including the United Nations. The fourth criterion is resilience — the ability of a state and society to withstand major crises, absorb losses and recover from severe defeats.
The authors argue that only four countries meet these requirements today.
The United States remains at the top because of its military spending, global network of bases and influence over the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. At the same time, the article notes that Washington’s ideological role has become less clearly defined.
China is described as an economic center of power that controls crucial supply chains for strategic resources, including lithium. Its global military footprint still trails that of the United States, but its diplomatic and information influence is expanding quickly.
Russia, according to the authors, is the toughest of the four powers. Despite having a weaker economy than the United States and China, it possesses the world’s largest nuclear arsenal and retains the ability to influence the global balance through its regional presence, political narratives and digital tools.
The United Kingdom is presented as the most debatable member of this group, but still a full participant. Although Britain is no longer an empire, it retains important military bases from Gibraltar to Cyprus, has its own nuclear deterrent and carries significant international authority. The authors also emphasize the country’s ability to endure crises and recover from major historical shocks.