局势 (jú shì) refers to the overall situation or state of affairs, especially in political, military, or economic contexts — it emphasizes the big picture and how things are arranged. It is broader than 情况 (general circumstances) and more macro-level than 局面 (a specific phase or scene) or 事态 (the development of events, often serious). 态势 (tài shì) focuses on posture or trends, while 局势 is about the current overall configuration.