Unlike the Cold War standoff with the erstwhile Soviet Union, today’s US-China competition is constrained by shared production networks, mutual dependence, and the high costs of economic separation.

Satish Jacob was one of the first Indian reporters on the ground in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion of 1979. For over 40 years, Jacob has witnessed history in the making again and again. In this conversation with HNFP, he narrates the story of the 1979 Afghan-Soviet War and how it changed the world. Also below is a brief explainer on the way this war reshaped the world.