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It aims to signal its diplomatic ascendance and challenge Washington as the big shaper of outcomes

Pragmatism and convergence on Pakistan have replaced ideology and legacy concerns as the main drivers of India-Afghanistan relations

Internet of Things ensures that all data cannot be treated as equal. The principle of net neutrality needs an overhaul to reflect the complicated future of the cyberworld

Bhutan's reported decision to establish diplomatic relations with China marks an end to the system of buffer states that the British Raj had created in the 19th century to secure the subcontinent against encroachments from external powers.

The announcement on the side-lines of the Rio+20 Summit that Bhutan and China have decided to establish diplomatic relations is not only a reflection on the evolving foreign policy of the Kingdom but it also carries with it broader implications for the political dynamics of Asia.

The crucial unknown in the high-stakes diplomacy is Donald Trump’s idea of what an acceptable ‘deal’ is

In 2023, a decade after inaugurating the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinese President Xi Jinping convened the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (third BRF) in Beijing. In his Chair’s Statement, he pledged reforms and institutionalisation to address the connectivity initiative’s myriad problems and international criticisms. The third BRF focused on practical cooperation, multimodal connectivity, globalisation of trad

Pakistani authorities will make cosmetic changes of incumbents handling crucial matters, rope in foreign ambassadors, diplomats, military attaches and foreign media based in Islamabad.

With the US already having made a strong base to deal with terrorist activities from external sources, it is time the US, and other countries develop mechanisms that tackle home-grown groups with vigour, but without endangering the principles of 'rule of law'. This is particularly important as the elements of home-grown terrorism are, in fact, the citizens of the respective countries.

Structural issues like partial utilisation of allocated funds, slow implementation of projects, and short-staffing pose a major challenge to the successful implementation of the budget

The creation of a competent national indicator framework will be central to the tracking — and eventual attainment — of India’s sustainable development goals. Through an analytical study of India’s past efforts relating to the MDGs and its initial preparations for the SDGs, this paper identifies specific hurdles that must be overcome in building a health indicator architecture that is both globally relevant and aligned with national

While MNCs are choosing well-established regional supply chain in East and Southeast Asia for now, India must look to the future.

In the aftermath of 18 Indian soldiers being killed when an Indian Army infantry base in Uri was attacked India is on the lookout for diplomatic answers.

Sikh extremism and separatism are far from the norm, but they have somehow hijacked Canadian diplomacy

Sikh extremism and separatism are far from the norm, but they have somehow hijacked Canadian diplomacy

The new generation challenge for our diplomats and policy makers today is to capture the American mindspace. This is a task that requires subtlety, but its crucial asset is the human capital connect that we have established with the US.

Beware the vaccine diplomacy model of China, focus on rapid vaccination at home.

Mark Carney’s ascendancy is itself a reflection of how deeply these pressures have reshaped Canadian politics

The geopolitics around India’s play in Chabahar and Iran’s leverages are interesting

A transformation is sweeping Saudi Arabia, and certain elements of it can be attributed to ‘Vision 2030’, a strategic plan launched in 2016. The vision—framed by a paradigm shift in the country’s economic, social, and cultural landscape—will have implications beyond Saudi Arabia itself, given the country’s position as leader of the Arab and Islamic world. The biggest challenge to such a metamorphosis is adoption among citizens, who wi

Traditionally, a newly elected South Korean President visits Washington first, followed by Tokyo. But the new President Park Geun-hye, as expected, did visit Washington first in May, but followed it up by a visit to Beijing and not to Tokyo. This is interpreted this to speculate that China has taken precedence over Japan in Seoul's diplomatic calculations.

Iran and Saudi Arabia resumed bilateral relations in March 2023, following a deal brokered by China and ending a hiatus of seven years. The diplomatic breakthrough underlined Beijing’s political inroads into the Middle East. Indeed, China’s relations with Iran have grown in recent years due to an alignment in their geopolitical interests, while China-Saudi Arabia relations have also notably strengthened. The deepening of the strategic partner

Other than dangling a cheque book, Beijing seems risk averse and has few answers to long-standing geopolitical flashpoints

China’s long game in Africa is not just about economic influence or military strength. It is also about the subtle art of diplomacy and influence

Three months since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic, the health crisis has wreaked havoc on people’s lives and livelihoods across the globe. Can state responsibility be apportioned for the pandemic, under the current international legal system? What would the elements of such responsibility be? This brief explores the concept of “state responsibility” under public international law and exam

Beijing’s Southeast Asia outreach may complicate the U.S.’s efforts to build a coalition to isolate or deter China economically.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has detained an estimated one million Uyghur Muslims in concentration camps in the Xinjiang province for forced re-education and political indoctrination. While the West has deplored China’s actions, the major Muslim countries have defended and even welcomed the policy. China has exploited its economic and diplomatic clout and the growing indebtedness of the Muslim world to subdued any criticism of its actions

As PM Modi attends the G7 Summit, China watches closely, concerned over rare-earth diplomacy and India's balancing act between the West and Global South amid growing geopolitical unease.

China’s communist party has survived where others have failed — a testament to its capacity to adapt and reinvent itself with the times. Mao’s successors put ideology aside and focused instead on economic growth.  Yet today, under Xi Jinping’s leadership, there is much lip-service paid to the ideology of the communist past, even while key communist principles like collectivism are actively undermined. With a slowing down economy, communi

The 6th BRICS Summit brought together the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa on July 15 in Brazil. The annual diplomatic meeting announced plans for the New Development Bank, which would be located in Shanghai, China.

Tibet and the Dalai Lama's status continue to worry the Chinese. India's stated policy that Tibet is part of China notwithstanding, Chinese feel that India has a hidden agenda. The fact that Lobsang Sangay was invited to Modi's swearing-in has made the Chinese nervous.

Climate is a global common, and the task of reversing the worsening climate change is a global responsibility. There are two aspects to climate action: adaptation and mitigation. This paper focuses on mitigation, the global efforts for which are uneven as some countries are performing better than others. The paper evaluates the mitigation efforts of the G20 countries, which are collectively responsible for some 80 percent of global greenhouse gas

Evolving, stealthier submarines are driving maritime nations to invest in strategic uncrewed anti-submarine warfare (ASW) technologies. Advancements in sensor technology, digitalisation, data analytics, and machine learning—leveraging inputs from multiple uncrewed autonomous systems—are enabling AI-powered digital twins. Based on data from land, sea, air, space, and cyber systems, these twins can support a Centralised Command, Control, and In

This paper revisits India’s contribution to institution building efforts in BRICS to suggest India’s keen interest in leveraging BRICS for fulfilling its national objectives on domestic economic growth and global governance. However, this paper notes, multiple competing imperatives of global governance and national interests within BRICS have led to asymmetric gains among members. BRICS suffers from weak cooperation in global trade, technolog

Conducting foreign policy in an evolving geopolitical environment—shaped by global, structural transformations—requires forward-looking, strategic thinking. To navigate these transnational changes and capitalise on emerging opportunities, states need a compass. As an organising principle for foreign policy, Grand Strategies serve this purpose. They align resources, instruments, and actions, considering the potential trajectories of global tra

India is set to expand its economic ties with Taiwan significantly.

Not only would CPEC run roughshod over the sacred Panchsheel principle of "mutual respect", it would also destroy any chance of a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute.

It was New Delhi which first pointed out the drawbacks of the Chinese model.

Global South countries are applying cautious optimism towards trade pacts. Despite India inking multiple bilateral FTAs, New Delhi has remained wary of trade agreements at the multilateral level

Safe countries bestow multiple social and economic benefits on the individual and larger community. Therefore, crime levels must be controlled. While India is a relatively peaceful country by global standards, there is significant scope for improvement in terms of policing, the national criminal justice system, and how data on crimes is collected and analysed. Amid India’s rapid urbanisation, it is crucial to study the various facets of crimina

Speaking at an interaction with visiting former diplomats from Pakistan, at Observer Research Foundation (ORF), New Delhi, on April 7, 2005, Vice Admiral (Retired) K.K. Nayyar called for a complete "U-turn" in the policies of both India and Pakistan for normalising relations between the two neighbours.

Digital adoption, hastened globally by the COVID-19 epidemic, brought along with it both benefits and threats, including concerns of safety and security of the cyberspace. Current geopolitical dynamics, ongoing strategic and economic disputes, as well as attempts by authoritarian regimes to preserve power have allowed companies with malicious intent—known as ‘cyber mercenaries’—to develop and deploy offensive cyber capabilities. The tools

The increasing dependence on the internet across the spectrum is pushing some states to adopt measures to exert their sovereignty over cyberspace. Certain global events have also acted as a catalyst for states to pursue cyber sovereignty. The involvement of multiple stakeholders and the borderless character of the virtual world have made sovereignty a complex affair in this domain. This brief seeks to illuminate the concept of ‘cyber so

Over the years, the variety and intensity of cyber attacks have multiplied exponentially, even as many states have been struggling to arrive at framework for cybersecurity.