Beijing may tout its continued military buildup as part of its “peaceful rise” or “peaceful development,” but reactions outside of China have been anything but sanguine. There is genuine concern throughout the Asia and the Pacific Rim that this expansion of military power is a prelude to a more aggressively assertive China-and one that is prepared to use its growing armed might to press its national interests and back up its various geopolitical claims. This… Read More »Chinese military

One can excuse India for not sending its official representative to the famous Shangri-La Dialogue, held annually in the last week of May in Singapore, as the new Indian government had just taken birth and it would have required time for the new foreign policy managers to frame a stand on any issue likely to emerge during the Conference. This is the most watched security gathering where world leaders issue quotable quotes on burning issues… Read More »Shangri-La dialogue

China’s recent standoff with Vietnam over the placement of a large flotilla of oil rigs in the latter’s EEZ in South China Sea may create fresh round of tension and could seriously undermine the ASEAN unity in the long run if the group fails to take appropriate steps in an urgent manner. This has however sparked a debate over the motive and timing of such an act, which is not ethical and legally correct. At… Read More »SCS tension

In diplomatic and strategic arena the new Narendra Modi led government has started on a sound footing with one to one meeting with the seven leaders of SAARC on his very first day of taking charge as the new Prime Minister of India. This has created a congenial diplomatic ambience for the new government to work with its various international partners. The new Prime Minister has also received messages of congratulations and goodwill from all… Read More »Indian diplomacy

The relations between Myanmar and China that flourished during the days of Military Junta regime in Myanmar have become strained with the suspension of Myitsone dam. The civilian president Thein Sein, who took power in 2009, has suspended the work of the dam mainly due to environmental concerns stating that cancellation has been ordered as per “will of the people” clearly implying that his government takes environmental concerns more seriously than the previous ruling ‘military… Read More »Myanmar dam

Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit’s recent comments in Mumbai on the possibility of a resolution of the Siachen issue once talks resume makes one wonder why he is so optimistic about any outcome over the issue given Pakistan’s hard line about accepting the Actual Ground Position Line. The point at issue is why should the Indian Army withdraw from its own territory which is an integral part of Jammu and Kashmir even as Pakistan and… Read More »Siachen issue

Though the third NSA level meeting of India, Sri Lanka and Maldives has not attracted much media attention unlike the similar meetings between India, Japan and USA, but this has the potential of silently expanding India’s footprint in the Indian Ocean. The three countries have agreed to form a cooperative structure for maritime security cooperation. In its third year of infancy, the trilateral meeting has been able to generate interest in other island nations like… Read More »Naval diplomacy

Hopes galore after the new government in Nepal finally saw the light of day which had been delayed for long due to squabbling and in-fighting among the political parties. As the new coalition government faces the daunting task of providing the country (which has for long been engulfed in a political impasse and civil war) a constitution that will help Nepal gain the structure to move forward as an able democracy, chances are that it… Read More »Nepal situation

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