Courtesy: Hindustan Times
Since the military coup in 2021, fighting continues unabated in several parts of Myanmar, including the strategically important Rakhine state. The country’s internal problems can't be solved by the Myanmarese people alone. Experts in ASEAN and Myanmar's neighbours should be given the chance to offer solutions driven by their understanding of the history, national identity, diversity, challenges and potential of this country.
Courtesy: Realty Plus
The Golden Visa, an investment-for-residence offered by 100 countries, is a status symbol for the wealthy and their investments. Now governments are discovering it is also a safe hideout for tax evaders and money launderers, and several countries that offer it are no longer as attractive to live in. High net worth Indians who have enjoyed the status, may be better off investing at home in GIFT City.
Courtesy: South China Morning Post
The recently-concluded National People’s Congress or Two Sessions in Beijing didn’t surprise much. But a thorough analysis reveals departures from the past – not holding a press interaction after the meeting, and further consolidation of domestic power by the Communist Party of China. Of note to India is the delinking of China’s defence budget from the country’s rate of growth – meaning freedom to enhance its military’s capability.
Courtesy: CGTN
China’s hostile actions in the East and South China Seas have led to a deepening of naval partnerships within the Indo-Pacific such as the U.S., Japan, Philippines, Australia and South Korea. As crises in West Asia escalate and the strategic contest between the U.S. and China hardens in the Pacific Ocean, India – placed strategically in the Indo-Pacific – can’t neglect either the west nor east.
Courtesy: The Hindu
Long treated by Pakistan as a colony, Balochistan has seen several high-profile attacks by locals against Chinese interests. The growing unrest in the region reflects Islamabad’s failure to address key development issues. With less than 10% of this year’s federal budget earmarked for development, it appears that the only means of quelling the violence is more repression.
Courtesy: Rupa Publications India Pvt Ltd.
Dr. S. Jaishankar’s new book creates an environment for an open and equal dialogue, which must continue between Indian and Russian diplomats, experts, representatives of business and public organisations. He is a visionary and an intellectual; his book is an example of next-generation Indian soft power, at the intersection of the challenges of the future and the legacy of the past.
Courtesy: The Indian Express
Over three years of civil war in Myanmar, and there is no end in sight. The country’s stakeholders are unable to de-escalate the conflict or reliably distribute aid to those affected. Friends, including India, must step in — not only to stop the fighting and alleviate the suffering, but to help facilitate a return to normalcy.
Courtesy: Manjeet Kripalani
Sikkim is India’s second smallest state, yet one of its best, with twice the nation’s GDP. It is surrounded by three of India’s neighbours – China, Bhutan and Nepal – making it one of the country’s most strategic regions. Yet its geopolitical positioning and ongoing border aggression by China have not affected Sikkim's calm or confidence: it is still defined by its beauty and its good governance.
Courtesy: The United Nations
The international rules-based order is being looked at critically by several countries, especially in the developing world. Many view it as embedding an entrenched bias in favour of the West, which wrote the rules, and with no room to accommodate the innovative ideas of emerging economies. Of late, these developing countries are increasingly the catalysts for change.
Courtesy: Abhijit Chavda Podcast
Emerging middle powers like India, Brazil and South Africa are articulating their interests on the global stage with growing assertiveness. Manjeet Kripalani, Executive Director, Gateway House, joins Abhijit Chavda on his eponymous podcast to discuss changing dynamics between the West and the Global South, and how western and emerging middle powers can collaborate on shared priorities like multilateral reform, technology transfer and international trade.