In India’s view, a new “standard map” unveiled just before India’s hosting of the G20 summit in New Delhi is a deliberate initiative by China to express its discontent with India on the border issue. With bilateral ties between India and China already in bad shape, the new map further complicates the relationship. Researcher Rishi Gupta explains.
Politics
Politics
India’s recent high-profile attendance at a security forum in Taiwan suggests it is ready to deepen ties with Taiwan to safeguard its future interests, despite expected pushback from China.
Politics
Sri Lanka’s recent high-level diplomatic engagements with India, France and Japan highlighted the island nation’s importance in the ongoing great power rivalry in the Indo-Pacific region. After obtaining an IMF bailout with the assistance of these nations and dealing with the fallout of the pro-China Rajapaksa family, is the new Sri Lankan administration adopting a more Western and India-oriented vision?
Politics
Researcher Rishi Gupta analyses Bangladesh’s recently released Indo-Pacific Outlook, noting that while it does not state where Bangladesh stands vis-à-vis China and the West, some of the stated goals coincide with the Quad’s interests in upholding a rules-based system, thwarting Chinese aggressiveness, advancing connectivity projects and tackling Indo-Pacific security issues.
Politics
Pundits hoping for a sign of detente between India and Pakistan at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting in Goa recently would have been disappointed. It is in Pakistan’s interest to keep relations with India testy leading up to its elections, and China’s support may just give it the ammunition it needs.
Politics
Academic Rishi Gupta gives an overview of the outcomes of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s recent visit to India and the implications for Japan-India relations.
Politics
After its elections in November 2022, Nepal is now led by a new coalition government formed by parties of the Left Alliance. However, volatile relations and power struggles especially between the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) and the Maoist Centre could mean difficulties in making decisions and implementing policies. The top leaders also have different ideas about foreign relations and great power politics.
Politics
While the last thing it wants is to be caught up in the crosshairs of US-China competition, Nepal is in the spotlight with the recent passing in the Nepali parliament of the US$500 million MCC-Nepal compact with the US. The US and Nepal have both denied that this grant is tied to the US’s Indo-Pacific strategy, but China is riled up as India watches closely.
Politics
Rishi Gupta gives a critique of the strategy paper “The Longer Telegram: Toward a New American China Strategy”, by “Anonymous”, which was recently published by the Atlantic Council. He says that judging from the paper and several other important geostrategic content released by the US recently, the US has not read the situation in China and its leadership correctly, and hence has a skewed understanding of how it can draw strength globally to compete with its "most serious competitor".