From the BRICS summit in Johannesburg to the G20 in India, the past few months have seen significant diplomatic activity among emerging countries. On the one hand, the invitation to include Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates in the so-called BRICS Plus suggested the birth of a bloc capable of presenting an alternative to Western hegemony; on the other hand, Indian activism and prominence appear to position the country in direct competition with the other Asian giant: China.