Toyota Japan Africa Courtesy: Toyota Tsusho Corporation
1 September 2022

Japan renews Africa commitment

The Japan-Africa partnership continues to be emphasised. The goal is to build human capital, sustainable and high-quality growth and the security and stability of the global order in which government, business, and civil society leaders participate on an equal basis. It is an opportunity for Indian companies to work together in Africa, to achieve bilateral goals.

SAOb2 Courtesy: telegraphindia.com
14 July 2022

Shinzo Abe: friend, partner, strategist

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s legacy is marked by statesmanship and foresight, enabling him to reform the security and economic architecture of Asia, Japan and India. His historic 2007 speech in the Indian Parliament gave shape to the idea of the Indo-Pacific, and the Quad. Abe had faith in India, recognising the opportunities India and Japan offered each other.

The Quad gathers steam Courtesy: Twitter | @AP
3 October 2021

The Quad gathers steam

The first in-person Quad Leader's Summit drew global attention for its symbolism and substance. A critical analysis of its outcome shows that the institutionalisation of the organisation has begun. India has a chance to work with the advanced economies, on an equal footing and with much to contribute.

Why Japan's Suga slid Courtesy: Twitter | @sugawitter
7 September 2021

Why Japan’s Suga slid

Suga Yoshihide was Japan’s stop gap Prime Minister to cover the sudden exit of the long-serving Abe Shinzo. He didn’t rock the boat, carried out the Abe agendas including on the Indo-Pacific, the US, China, India. He managed COVID, and the difficult Olympics. Yet he lost his popularity. Blame it on political fault lines.

jpg Courtesy: The Times of India
12 August 2021

Deep dive: The Quad

In an interview with Garrison Moratto of The New Diplomatist, Amb. Rajiv Bhatia, Distinguished Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies, counters China's claims that the Quad is an "Asian NATO." He highlights how the India-U.S.-Japan-Australia Quadrilateral initiative aims to increase cooperation in the Indo-Pacific on international law and security. This podcast delves into the history of the Quad's formation, current strategic characteristics, and future geopolitics, ahead of the fall in-person Leaders' Summit in the U.S.

2019-06-14T000000Z_1951021920_RC-2 Courtesy: SCO, Russia (2020)
22 July 2021

China’s quad?

A potential anti-Quad formation of China, Russia, Iran and Pakistan is in the making, and can pose risks to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. However, a close analysis of China's bilateral relationship with each country shows that this is a flawed grouping, formed on limited common interests and rivalries.

14918662320_2bf5df9b9f_c Courtesy: MEA/Flickr
31 August 2020

What Abe’s resignation means for India

Under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, India and Japan shared a live and confident partnership. The engagement with India is one of his legacies, with Japan a steadfast partner and the strategic dimension being qualitatively different. Dealing with a new Japanese leader will be a challenge for India, and that new equation will determine the pace at which Japan's partnership with India will deepen.

00_fa_mj2020_cover Courtesy: Foreign Affairs
27 April 2020

China’s Coming Upheaval

The U.S.-China relationship, which has wavered between cooperation and competition, has, over the past few years, veered more sharply towards confrontation – possibly because of China’s own more assertive stance. Now, Beijing’s confidence is under test, not only by these fractious relations, but also COVID-19 and an economic slowdown. Will these factors reveal its weaknesses?

shutterstock_1411804163 Courtesy: Shutterstock
5 April 2020

Is rare earth still China’s dominant lever?

The second-most important issue on everyone's mind after the Coronavirus, is Rare Earths - those metallic elements like scandium and cerium, used in every aspect of modern electronics like our cell phones, rechargeable batteries, florescent lighting. The reason is: China. China has the world's largest deposits and production of rare earths, and has not hesitated to withhold its export to countries that disagree with it in the past.