India has become the 4th most powerful country in the Asia-Pacific region, as per the Sydney-based Lowy Institute's Asia Power Index for 2020, which ranks 26 nations and territories. China is closing in on the US as the most powerful country influencing the Asia-Pacific, as America's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic tarnishes its reputation, a study revealed.

While America retained its place as the region's top superpower, its ten-point lead on China 2 years ago has been halved, as per the Sydney-based Lowy Institute's Asia Power Index for 2020.The US "lost prestige" owing to its poor response to the pandemic, multiple trade disputes and President Donald Trump's moves to withdraw from multilateral deals and agencies, according to Herve Lemahieu, the study's research chief and director of Lowy's Asian Power and Diplomacy Program.  "The pandemic was a game changer," he said. "It contributed to a double whammy of problems for US because on the one hand, its poor handling of the Covid crisis has resulted in a diminished reputation. And on the other hand, obviously it will take many years to recover from the economic fallout of the pandemic."China stayed firmly in second place for the third year running, despite seeing a ‘notable fall’ in diplomatic clout after facing accusations of withholding information about the severity of the Wuhan outbreak. Lemahieu also cited wolf warrior diplomacy - more aggressive rhetoric and actions from Beijing's envoys - contributing to that drop. A Trump reelection would bring ‘more of the same’ trends, he said.

 India, the fourth most powerful nation on the index after Japan, lost economic growth potential in the pandemic and is also ceding strategic ground to Beijing. Lowy projects India will reach 40% of China's economic output by 2030, compared with the 50% estimate last year.

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