Written 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 Shantanu Roy-Chaudhury
The latest RIC meeting took place on 23 June 2020. For India, however, questions arise about whether the RIC fits New Delhi’s aims as it increases its strategic engagement with the United States, Japan, and Australia. This goes against the RIC’s objective to undermine a growing American presence in the Indo-Pacific.
Read MoreWritten by Alexey D Muraviev
It came as no surprise that a month later, the honour guards of the People’s Liberation Army marched in Red Square as part of grand celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of Soviet victory over Germany. The event was heavy on symbolism — yet another way for the two rivals to signal their growing closeness.
Read MoreWritten by Joshua Bernard B. Espeña
Like Modi, Duterte’s approach is based on caution and building mutual trust to avoid a wider geopolitical conflict, and setting aside territorial disputes in exchange for trade and investment opportunities. This policy has continued despite regular harassment of Filipino fishing vessels by Chinese coast guards.
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 Sreejith Sasidharan
The violence in Ladakh, also allowed Beijing to examine the degree of coordination that exists within the Indo-US strategic partnership. As Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed with medieval-style weapons in the Galwan Valley, Beijing paid close attention to how the United States reacted.
Read MoreIf you would like to write for us on the topic of generational perspectives on democracy, please email a brief pitch clearly and succinctly outlining the focus and argument of your proposed article.
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 Prashant Kandpal and Koushlender Singh Bundela
Recent attacks from extremist splinter groups, including the resurgence of Islamic State in the region has forced Duterte to put his weight behind a reformed terrorism bill. Those protesting against the new anti-terror bill fear that provisions within it will give Manila unsupervised power over the citizens of the country.
Read MoreWritten by Anisa Heritage and Pak K Lee
The inherent contradictions between Trump’s America First strategy and the current calls for a coalition against China remain a sticking point. Trump has never attended an East Asia Summit, and his administration’s denigration of alliances has reduced American capacity to create a coalition of like-minded partners to support its position in the South China Sea.
Read MoreWritten by Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat and M. Habib Pashya.
Oman is no way going to replace the U.S. or China as Indonesia’s main economic and security partner. However, Muscat could become one of the many alternative partners that Indonesia should embrace to be less dependent on China and the U.S., especially in the realm of counter-terrorism.
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 Lokman Karadag
Prompting Seoul’s aircraft carrier program are the persistent reports of the Trump Administration’s plans to withdraw a sizeable number of US troops from the Korean peninsula, leaving South Korean officials increasingly uncertain over Washington’s defence guarantees.
Read MoreWritten by Zachary Abuza
In Thailand there is a growing frustration that after holding power for five years, the military junta continues to cling to power and disenfranchise the electorate. The government of Prayut Chan-o-cha holds little in the way of legitimacy and increasingly, so does the monarchy.
Read MoreWritten by Amelia Hadfield
What began as a single protest in 2003 has now turned into a consolidated, permanent anti-government structure, including a wide range of citizens and stakeholders from across and beyond Hong Kong, all of whom are largely united in their demands to preserve democracy and autonomy for Hong Kong.
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.
Read MoreWritten by Manavik Raj
The recent developments in the India-China relationship, specifically the stand-off in Ladakh, India’s growing interest in the South China Sea and the development of the Quad all have implications for the India-Sri Lanka relationship, in large part due to China’s perceived influence in Colombo.
Read MoreWritten by Don McLain Gill
In a surprising turn of events, the government of Myanmar has decided to involve international partners in the mega Yangon City Project, which is a key element of the Beijing-funded China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC).
Read More
