“I often see a great deal of complacency in pro-multipolarity circles — the assumption that the mega-trend is ultimately unstoppable, that there’s nothing the US can really do beyond slowing it down slightly. I take a less deterministic view. Because if we’re talking about a new international order — whether you want to call it multipolar or polycentric — by definition it requires some level of order. Therefore, simply by engineering permanent disorder and destabilisation, the US and its vassals can create serious problems for the BRICS, and indeed already are. So I’m not convinced that China’s approach of avoiding confrontation with the US at all costs will necessarily pay off in the long run”. Transcript of a recent talk I gave in Berlin: