20853 results found
The course of the global energy transition may be determined by the effectiveness of Africa’s lithium exploration negotiations with China
This brief makes an assessment of the data-sharing arrangement between China and India as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding for sharing hydrological information on the Brahmaputra river system, aimed at facilitating advance warning for floods in India during monsoon. Using hydro-meteorological data, this brief assesses the arrangement and identifies its limitations, primary of which is the wrong choice for the location of measuring stat
The West sees China's investments and capacities in low-carbon energy as a security threat instead of recognising its role in boosting RE’s global s
The recent visits by Chinese military delegations to Nepal suggest a deepening of China's engagement in the region, which could have implications for
The hope that these drills will result in the deepening of strategic ties between the two nations remains highly unlikely, given Beijing’s unwilling
Ankara will face pressure from within and outside its Parliament if it ratifies the extradition treaty with China.
The ‘great divide’ between Washington and Beijing that had simmered for many years before Trump came to office, has crystallised into open hostili
This year’s defence budget marks an increase of 8.1 percent from last year. China has justified its defence budget by arguing that its defence spending is less than 1.5 percent of its GDP, but that argument is not going to go down well with its neighbours.
The recent banking crisis in Henan throws light on the corruption that is rampant at the lower rungs of the Chinese bureaucracy.
With US-China rivalry and concerns over the long-term viability of the BRI growing, the third Belt and Road Forum will have much to manoeuvre should i
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is central to the country’s ambitious policy reorientation. The energy sector accounts for nearly 40 percent of all investments under the BRI, with significant geostrategic and geoeconomic implications. In recent years, China has adopted a “greening the BRI” strategy, emphasising green energy projects. This brief analyses China’s BRI investments in the energy sector to establish the potential trend
Over the last two decades, China has established a significant economic presence in most African countries. Its lucrative economic investment package, flexible political approach, and focused big-ticket development projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) provide an ostensibly massive opportunity to African countries. However, the unilateral nature of the initiative, the lack of transparency and accountability to African countries, and t
Post a regulatory crackdown, tech CEOs are pledging moral and monetary support for the CPC’s “common prosperity” programme
There is a growing acknowledgment that the China-funded projects are not economically viable in the long term but African nations still view China in
China’s growing presence in India’s immediate neighbourhood is concerning
An indication of a possible power tussle would be found in November when the 19th CPC Congress is scheduled to be held.
This brief evaluates the state and development of China’s cruise missile capabilities, specifically that of its air-launched and ground-launched missile forces. It finds that China has developed a formidable inventory of cruise missiles, which poses a threat to India’s own military infrastructure. The brief lays out the imperative for India: to build up its long-range cruise missile forces. It argues that India’s current capabilities woul
PRC has realised that the trade in weapons can serve several Chinese foreign policy and economic objectives
CCP’s plan to harvest demographic dividends comes apart
Relentless lawfare strategy makes way for social-economic agenda
China’s growing military profile in Africa is following its economic footprint in the continent as exemplified by the Chinese “logistics support base” in Djibouti. It is moving towards an ever more expansive definition of its global interests, as its business in Africa pushes it to create new mechanisms for securing those interests, including its own growing military footprint abroad. This brief examines the changing nature of China’s inv
While the DSR has the potential to enhance digital connectivity in developing economies of the Indo-Pacific, it also provides Beijing with a tool to a
The risks posed by China’s military space programme is primarily to other more capable powers such as the US using space as a force multiplier.
China’s space policy planners are convinced that the country should aim for manned lunar landings by 2040. It has already established a sophisticated robotic lunar exploration programme and human landings are perceived as the logical next step. New navigation and communication architectures are being developed for this purpose, in addition to building life support systems and a suitable launch vehicle. However, China’s political leadership wo
China’s annual parliamentary meetings offer a glimpse into its future direction. This year, amidst economic headwinds, a key takeaway is the continued surge in defence spending
The recent military drills by the PLA are to ascertain the nature of Taiwan’s response.
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has undergone many changes since Xi Jinping became general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2013. Efforts at modernising the PLA have been conducted in earnest for the past 10 years through the overhaul of the organisation and the introduction of latest technologies to make it battle-ready. This paper describes these capability-related and institutional changes in China’s military, wh
Unlike other great powers of the past New Delhi has encountered, China impinges directly on India’s geopolitical landscape in multiple ways. The ris
Military modernisation was the fourth and last of Deng Xiaoping’s ‘Four Modernisations’. Even before the third modernisation got underway—that of science and technology—China began using commercial technologies to advance its military capabilities. This strategy has gained salience since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012 and made it the state’s key goal to transform the PLA into a “world-class military”. Military-Civil Fusi
Silo-based missile capabilities increase the odds of survivability for China’s small arsenal and are integral to Beijing’s nuclear modernisation e
The white paper is an amalgamation of past experiences as well as the role that China will play in the global order in the coming years.
China’s evolving security dynamics with the United States have compelled it to rethink its nuclear strategy to achieve effective deterrence. It is aiming to modernise its nuclear arsenal and increase its nuclear ambiguity through conventional-nuclear entanglement. Ambiguity will increase the risks of mischaracterisation and can have a destabilising impact on the Indo-Pacific region. This paper highlights two areas where India ought to be most c
China’s nuclear weapons arsenal has grown and modernised over the recent years, and current estimates say the country has 350 operational warheads ready for delivery, over 248 land-based ballistic missiles, and 72 sea-based ballistic missiles. China also has 20 nuclear gravity bombs and additional warheads intended to be armed on land- and sea-based missiles. This brief outlines a history of China’s nuclear weapons programme, scrutini
