Written by Bhagya Senaratne
Sri Lanka’s domestic priorities highlight that it is not keen on embroiling itself in regional power rivalries, but is engaging with its neighbours, including China, to harness opportunities to achieve national goals and support its domestic population.
Read MoreWritten by Robert Clark and Jyotsna Mehra
A bold and ambitious foreign policy steeped in new trade deals is integrating Global Britain further into the Indo-Pacific, and with it, a new age of geostrategic relations with India is underway. Many in New Delhi are counting on this growing convergence of their strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific to triumph over the shadows that their colonial history continue to cast on their bilateral relations.
Read MoreWritten by John Pollock
With New Delhi distracted by the COVID-19 pandemic and a wave of protests against its domestic policies, Beijing is seeking to incrementally change the status quo in Bhutan and the Himalayas.
Read MoreWritten by Evan Brandaw
The lack of an heir apparent and the middling popularity of the rest of the NLD raises the question of whether the party can even exist without Aung San Suu Kyi at the helm. Let alone govern with continued majorities.
Read MoreWritten by Atif Jalal Ahmad
Billions in Chinese investment have come as the Indo-Bangla relationship has soured over the passage of India’s Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Thousands in Bangladesh protested the controversial law, perceived as anti-Muslim and harshly punitive toward Bengalis.
Read MoreWritten by Tej Parikh
Developing a twin-track process of economic support and civil society engagement is a substantial challenge as trust in the international community within Myanmar is low. It remains hard for outside players, especially Western actors, to exert influence in the country’s peace process, legislation, and ministries.
Read MoreWritten by Hunter Marston
The NLD failed to set clear policies to deal with misinformation or the deliberate spreading of misleading information. Worse, it has targeted journalists and critics of the government for speaking out, while it did nothing to challenge military-linked opponents who spread misinformation.
Read MoreWritten by Michał Lubina
The more fiercely the West condemns Suu Kyi, the better her domestic political prospects. In 2017, Western media criticism sheltered her from uncomfortable questions about her passive role in the Rohingya crisis.
Read MoreWritten by Jelvin Jose
Beijing's support for disparate rebel groups is part of a tacit strategy to reduce dependence on Myanmar’s military leadership. The Tatmadaw is unable to control the whole of Myanmar’s territory. Given this security context, indifference to or outright material support for the Arakan Army is crucial for Beijing.
Read MoreWritten by John Pollock
After conducting the largest ever Varuna exercise off Goa in May 2019, the Chief of France’s navy Admiral Christophe Prazcuk announced that the French and Indian navies would undertake joint maritime security patrols in the Indian Ocean. The first such patrol took place in March 2020 utilising P-8 Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft.
Read MoreWritten by Ritika V Kapoor
Although Sri Lanka has stated it will adopt an ‘India-first approach’ under Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s presidency, observers will be watching what the election portends for Sino-Sri Lankan relations, particularly as they had burgeoned during Mahinda’s presidential terms from 2005 to 2015.
Read MoreWritten by Sreeradha Data
Aung San Suu Kyi’s choice to align with Myanmar’s armed forces, the Tatmadaw, served to display little sympathy for the plight of the hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas that were forced to flee their homes amid a widespread campaign of ethnic cleansing in Rakhine State.
Read MoreWritten by Angshuman Choudhury
COVID-19 cases in Myanmar have grown rapidly since the end of August. Although postponing the election has so far been ruled out, the government is scrambling to contain the virus. What’s more, the dramatic spurt began in arguably the most strife-torn region in the country today, Rakhine State.
Read MoreWritten by Shishir Rao
India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently announced a five-year import embargo on 101 defence items beginning in December 2020. The embargo aims to boost the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives promoted by the Modi government.
Read MoreWritten by Niranjan Marjani
In the past few years, in particular, under Modi’s premiership, India has developed increasingly close ties with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which has gone beyond the narrow realm of religious connections. India has also been successful in upgrading its relations with Saudi Arabia and the UAE to the strategic level.
Read MoreWritten by Manish Jung Pulami
Beijing's presence in the Bay of Bengal’s waters has provoked a level of strategic competition among regional and extra-regional actors not seen since the Cold War when Soviet and American Indian Ocean squadrons competed for influence in South Asia.
Read MoreWritten by Dinesh Bhattarai
The current dispute concerns the territory on the eastern side of the Mahakali river, a strategic area at the trijunction between Nepal, India, and China. This area has been under India’s control since the 1962 Sino-Indian border war.
Read MoreWritten by Chayanika Saxena
Since the Taliban’s presence in the peace process is inevitable, India must abandon its self-imposed binary approach to the impending negotiations and adjust its strategies accordingly. India’s either/or approach is no longer viable, especially when the Afghan government is willing to negotiate with the Taliban.
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