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Before the rise of Xi Jinping—before the Beijing Olympics and the South China Sea tensions and the China-India border crisis—the late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had already sensed that a rising China would pose daunting challenges to its neighbours and the regional order. This brief argues that without Abe, there would likely have been no ‘Quad’ grouping joining Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. His re

The Indo-Pacific region is confronting emerging challenges that go beyond the traditional definition of “security.” Among the most crucial are threats to the environment, including natural hazards such as cyclones and tsunamis; illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing and overfishing; and marine pollution. This report underlines the strategic implications of these environmental issues in the Indo-Pacific. It outlines the measures tha

Among India's neighbours, Bangladesh occupies a special position not only because of India's role in its liberation but because geographically, too, it surrounds Bangladesh from three sides. The beginning of close economic relations between the two countries can be traced back to 1971. After its independence, Bangladesh's requirements of consumer goods, especially food, came from India. Over the years, the country has sought easier access to Indi

The Bay of Bengal region links South Asia and Southeast Asia, with the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) serving as a platform of trans-border cooperation. The BIMSTEC’s prime assets are the historical and cultural links between the nations, and their spirit of community. However, the lack of both a robust decision-making mechanism and a set of common rules have slowed down the growth of th

This paper examines the environmental and policy-level challenges to the actualisation of US-India counterterrorism cooperation. Indeed, despite their seeming convergence on the imperative of effective counterterrorism, there has been limited cooperation between the two countries. While the US’ sense of “American exceptionalism” and its hegemon status purports a utilitarian notion of the adversary, India’s regional power status makes its

Goal seven of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) commits the international community to providing access to clean cooking fuels and technologies to all by 2030. Progress has been slow, however, and in about 40 of the UN’s 189 member countries for which data is available, more that 80 percent of the populations continue to lack such access. Using case studies, this brief analyses the role of a country’s policies, i

After the United States and its allies left Afghanistan in 2021, analysts expected Russia to fill the vacuum caused by the withdrawal. As far as Moscow itself is concerned, it would like to establish full diplomatic ties with the Taliban regime while it urges Western countries to take accountability and fulfil their responsibilities towards the Afghan people. Indeed, Russia’s desire for security and regional hegemony compels it to selectively e

The general elections of 7 June 2015 were Turkey's last scheduled elections until the next one in 2019. Coming at a time when the country and its neighbours are on the brink of profound transformation, and given the increasing complexity of the socio-political situation in the Middle East, the elections results may well re-define the direction of West Asian politics for some time to come.

This brief examines the response of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) to the prolonged Ukraine war. ASEAN’s approach is viewed from two perspectives: how individual member states have responded, and the stance that the grouping itself has taken. In the immediate aftermath of the Russian invasion in February this year, the ASEAN statement was insipid; it underlined the importance of the principles of ‘mutual respect fo

This paper bridges the gap in Indian public discourse on the aims of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or Islamic State) and where it stands today as the most formidable terrorist organisation of the 21st century. It explores ISIS from the perspective of the Middle East, rather than coming from an Indian foreign policy and security point of view, of which there is no dearth in literature. Such an approach is crucial in understanding the terr

Sri Lanka, which in the 1970s was being hailed as a development success story for a low-income nation, is now mired in a financial and economic disaster, its worst yet since independence in 1948. Despite notable investments in infrastructure projects, and a largely stable growth rate from 2013 to 2019, the Sri Lankan story was marred by a series of untimely and mismanaged economic measures that led to the current meltdown. External factors have c

This paper analyses the contentious idea of a nexus between public opinion and foreign policy agendas, focusing on the Indian context. The paper examines the history of the discourse and outlines the key ideological divergences and events that have shaped the inquiry. It then traces the public opinion-foreign policy linkage in the Indian context, and frames the analysis against other representative democracies, specifically the United States. Usi

संयुक्‍त राष्‍ट्र महासभा में भारतीय विदेश मंत्री ने अपने भाषण में दुनिया के समक्ष भारत का समग्रता का दृष्टिकोण रखा. उन्‍होंने भारतीय विदेश नीति की बुनियादी सिंद्धांतों �

Sustainable finance emerged as a key issue to tackle climate change at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference and is spurring a global transition to net zero. A peculiar feature of the race to net zero is that it cannot be achieved unless all countries can meet their targets, and any positive step towards it will benefit all countries. The drive to achieve carbon neutrality and net-zero emissions needs to be targeted through a range of

Questions about the utility of globalisation are not new. Could the COVID-19 outbreak be the final nail on the coffin for an idea that drove the world economy in the past three decades?  In theory, countries would produce what they specialised in, leaving it to the market to ensure everyone got a better price for it. As 2020 began, the pandemic spread from one province of China and soon disrupted production across the world. Countries banned the

There is no dearth in analyses that sound the alarm on the current United States (US) administration’s policy in the Indo-Pacific. This paper conducts an evaluation of the US’ engagement in the region, and finds it to be contrary to alarmist predictions. President Donald Trump’s administration has reaffirmed commitments towards traditional allies, built on the predecessor president’s courtship of nascent partners, and encouraged partners

There seems to be a revival of American interest in Africa. What are the reasons for this? What are the past and current US policies towards the region? Are these interests and policies different from those it had during the Cold War? How do Africans perceive the US? What are the implications of a renewed US interest in Africa for India? These are some of the questions that this Issue Brief attempts to answer.

The US has subjected Pakistan to a unilateral sanctions regime at several crucial junctures in the history of their bilateral ties. Though the reasons for cutting off economic and military aid to Pakistan have been contingent on strategic exigencies prevalent at different points in time and therefore not singular, countering Pakistan’s nuclear ambitions has been a recurring theme. It is widely believed that these sanctions have not been able to

The recent protests in West Asia that started in Tunisia and now encompass the entire Arab world will have an impact on the regional balance of power equations. West Asia’s geographic location and its weight in the world energy market bestow on it an undeniable centrality that has also resulted in intensive interaction with external powers. Since it is at the heart of global energy security resources, West Asia has witnessed intense great powe

In a groundbreaking speech in August this year, US President Donald Trump laid out his government’s policy for South Asia, authorising more American troops to Afghanistan and insisting that Pakistan must either “do more” to restrain Islamist militants, or face consequences. Indian and Afghan governments have welcomed the new US policy approach. The major components of Trump’s Afghanistan strategy — recognising Pakistan’s role in provi

This Paper examines the evolution of India and Indonesia's military strategic mindset, from inward-looking powers to budding naval powers. It asserts that the two countries will have "no choice but to cast aside the antiquated aspects of non-alignment and move toward a more pragmatic approach to foreign policy, based on multilateralism."

India is keen to join the world's export control regimes, all four of them including the Wassenaar Arrangement, as part of its efforts at integrating with the global non-proliferation architecture. While the Wassenaar Arrangement's predecessor, the Coordinating Committee on Multilateral Export Controls, was established to control transfers of advanced dual-use technology in the North-South and East-West context, the Arrangement's objectives have

In recent years, China, under President Xi Jinping, has seen substantial growth and sought a greater leadership role in world affairs. New equations have emerged domestically as well. As Xi fortifies his hold over the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the country, repressive policies in Tibet and Xinjiang and excessive curbs on academic freedom can pose potential political threats. At the same time, issues like ecological degradation and widening

In common discourse on extremism, it is widely thought that the poor and unschooled are most easily recruited to militant organisations. Today, however, an increasing number of young professionals are embracing extremism. Is this true for India? If such a pattern is indeed present, what threats does it pose to India?

चीन एक अरसे से दावा करता आ रहा है कि ताइवान उसका हिस्सा है और वह शांतिपूर्ण उपायों से उसे अपने में मिला लेना चाहता है, लेकिन जरूरत पड़ने पर बलप्रयोग करने भी वह हिचकेगा नहीं.

ब्रिटेन अभूतपूर्व राजनीतिक हलचल से गुजर रहा है, लेकिन इसके पीछे लिज ट्रस के नेतृत्व की कमियां और टोरी पार्टी की आपसी प्रतिद्वंद्विता है. ऐसे में भारत को धैर्य रखते हुए लंदन

यूक्रेन युद्ध की बड़ी वजह ही नाटो के प्रति उसकी दिलचस्‍पी थी. यूक्रेन की नाटो की सदस्‍यता को लेकर ही रूस ने उस पर हमला किया था. स्‍वीडन और फ‍िनलैंड की नाटो सदस्‍यता को लेकर ए�

अमेरिका का यह बयान भारत-अमेरिका के संबंधो के लिए अहम है. पहली बार अमेरिका ने भारत और रूस के संबंधो के स्‍वीकार किया है. आइए जानते हैं कि बाइडेन प्रशासन के दृष्टिकोण के क्‍या �

चीन और रूस के सदस्‍य देश वाले ब्रिक्‍स में अगर ईरान शामिल होता है तो भारत और अमेरिका के संबंधों पर इसका क्‍या प्रभाव पड़ेगा.

चीन के बेल्ट एंड रोड इनिशिएटिव परियोजना के निवेश में वर्ष 2019 के बाद से पांच फीसद की गिरावट आई है. इसका अंदाजा इस बात से लगाया जा सकता है कि हाल में बांग्‍लादेश के वित्‍त मंत्र�

यूक्रेन युद्ध में अपनी सेना को पीछे करने के बाद पुतिन ने अपनी रणनीति क्‍यों बदलाव किया है. पुतिन का आंशिक सैन्‍य लामबंदी क्‍या है. क्‍या यूक्रेन जंग एक खतरनाक मोड़ पर पहुंच �

भारत-चीन सीमा विवाद के पूर्व भारत वन चाइना पालिसी पर आस्‍था व्‍यक्‍त करता रहा है लेकिन चीन के साथ सीमा विवाद गहराने पर भारत ने अपनी नीति में बदलाव के संकेत दिए हैं. ऐसे में स�

अमेरिका में बाइडेन प्रशासन की दक्षिण एशियाई नीति इन दिनों सुर्खियों में है. पाकिस्‍तान में शाहबाज सरकार के बाद दोनों देशों के रिश्‍तों में निकटता बढ़ी है. बाइडेन ने भारत क�

पैगंबर मुहम्मद के बारे में बीजेपी नेताओं की टिप्पणी का मामला भारत की विदेश नीति के लिए चुनौती बना

चीन हिंद महासागर में भारत को चुनौती देने के लिए म्यानमार में कई प्रोजेक्ट्स पर काम कर रहा है.

अमेरिका की एक रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि चीन ने अपनी हाइपरसोनिक हथियार प्रणाली को भी मोर्चे पर लगा दिया है. पेंटागन की एक रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक संघर्ष की स्थिति में त्वरित कार्�

इसमें कोई संदेह नहीं कि चीनी कम्युनिस्ट पार्टी नेतृत्व विशेषरूप से शी के लिए ताइवान से अधिक महत्वपूर्ण कोई और मुद्दा नहीं. उन्हें सबसे ज्यादा वाहवाही चीन के एकीकरण और चीन�

नेटो की मैड्रिड में हुई बैठक में इन चारों हिंद प्रशांत क्षेत्र के देशों के नेताओं ने शिरकत किया. इसको इसी कड़ी से जोड़कर देखा जा रहा है. मैड्रिड की इस बैठक में यह तय हो गया है �

अमेरिकी कांग्रेस की अध्यक्ष नैंसी पेलोसी की ताइवान की यात्रा को लेकर भारत ने बहुत संभल कर चल रहा है. भारत की ओर से इस मामले पर कोई प्रतिक्रिया नहीं आई है. भारत ने पूरे मामले म�

चीन के इस कदम से अमेरिका व ऑस्ट्रेलिया दोनों ही तनाव में आ गए हैं. इस हिंद प्रशांत क्षेत्र में तनाव बढ़ेगा. आखिर चीनी विदेश मंत्री वांग की सोलोमन द्वीप की यात्रा का मकसद क्‍य

चीन ताइवान संघर्ष के बाद यह सवाल उठने लगा है कि क्या उसका अगला निशाना कौन. क्या यह भारत के लिए खतरे की घंटी है. भारत चीन सीमा विवाद को लेकर यह सवाल लाजमी है. ऐसे में चीन की आक्रा

चीन के किसी भी हमले से निपटने के लिए ताइवान ने बाकायदा अभ्यास भी शुरू कर दिया है. ताइवान के इस अभ्यास से यही निहितार्थ निकाले जा रहे हैं कि चीन कभी भी हमला कर सकता है. उधर ताइव�

ऐसे में सवाल उठता है कि क्या चीन और ताइवान के बीच युद्ध होगा. अगर यह युद्ध हुआ तो इसमें अमेरिका जापान और पश्चिमी देशों की क्या भूमिका होगी. क्या यह जंग अब चीन और ताइवान से आगे �

अगर चीन शक्ति प्रदर्शन के जरिए ताइवान का स्टेटस बदलता है तो हिंद प्रशांत पर तो इसका प्रभाव होगा ही, उससे बड़ा प्रभाव इसका ग्लोबल ऑर्डर पर पड़ेगा.