The ‘Indo-Pacific’ region has become a geopolitical reality as the risks, opportunities, disputes and strategies concerning relevant nations have infused the broad region into a single strategic unit. In this increasingly volatile region, countries are being forced to make complex strategic judgments of their geopolitical options both long-term as well as short-term. Defence capabilities and the strategic posturing of a country’s might is becoming the most defining factor in the power-play that is currently engaging… Read More »Desperate attempt

China is looking for new ways to impress India as it feels threatened by the growing proximity of India with Japan, South Korea and United States. China wants to handle the border issue with India at a separate level and trade relations at different level. China, which is keen to have a strong trade and cultural relation with India, wants a political solution on the border dispute along LAC. Due to China’s antagonist nature, Indian… Read More »Trust deficit

Both China and India are two of the fastest growing economies attracting a tremendous amount of global attention. Since the past decade pulsating economic links has been a vital part of their bilateral partnership. Both the countries have vouched to enhance their bilateral and multilateral co-operation and are constantly on the process of forming better policies to facilitate this. However, the biggest impediment that the two countries face on their path of improved bilateral ties… Read More »Importance of Tawang

The scenes on the streets of Bangladesh that the world has been witnessing in the previous months depict the mood of a pseudo-democratic nation that is hanging by a thread. Bangladesh seems to be heading towards a dead end as an anarchic like state of affairs spins the country into total disarray. The two political dynasties of Bangladesh have forever been fighting a political war to grip power over a country that has been plagued… Read More »Future of Bangladesh

That the new Maldivian President Yameen Abdul Gayoom chose to make his first official visit abroad to New Delhi in the very first week of the year 2014 was enough indication that he wants to mend fences with India and restore the decades old traditional relationship with its closest maritime neighbor, on whom the country depends for its security. Though the moves of the previous Maldivian administration threatened to weaken the political and security links… Read More »Maldives cooperation

At a time when Myanmar is experiencing an unprecedented transformation, the ASEAN countries have agreed to let it take on the leadership of the bloc as its Chairman for the year 2014. After decades of military rule, isolation and existence, Myanmar’s leadership has initiated a series of political, economic and administrative reforms that have elicited positive responses both regionally and globally, helping the country swiftly integrate into the regional and global communities. While the chairmanship… Read More »ASEAN chairmanship

Last year the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of National Defence announced the creation of the East China Sea Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) which faced lot of criticism and got reactions from all over the world. China also announced Aircraft Identification rules for the ADIZ. The zone overlaps the existing ADIZ of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. It also covers the disputed Senkaku islands that are claimed by China, Japan and Taiwan and also… Read More »China’s ADIZ

US-China rivalry in the Malacca Strait For a nation that depends on other nations for its energy needs, it must ensure security and independence in the SLOC’s (Sea Lines of Communication). It is the mutual dependence of such crucial factors that translate geographical logistics into geopolitical choke-points. Consequently, because the belief that dominant players in the global commons eventually command global affairs is widely considered as veracious, the relevance of such geopolitical points elevate because… Read More »Competing interests

Pakistan’s new CoAS and civil-military relations After intense speculation, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointed Lt General Raheel Sharif as the new Chief of Army Staff (CoAS). He indeed reached the decision after carefully considering crucial factors, keeping in mind the political history of Pakistan and his own personal experience. As the army is as good as a power center of the country, the appointment of its new Chief is significant. Whether or not General Raheel… Read More »Entrusting hope

Strengthening India-Japan relations The visit of the Japanese emperor Akihito to India in November end was a reaffirmation of evolving strategic partnership with India which has great relevance in the fast changing geo political environment in the Asia Pacific region. In a significant move India has decided to follow up the emperor’s visit to India with a Republic Day invite to the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which will reinforce the current momentum in high… Read More »Strategic bond