39193431214_e3dd4eff86_o (1) Courtesy: MEA/ Flickr
28 June 2018

Indo-Pacific in flux

Change and uncertainty have marked geopolitical equations in the East Asian segment of the Indo-Pacific in the last six months. India-China relations changed visibly for the better while the U.S.-China trade war became more polarised. The Quad remained inert as did negotiations on the proposed Code of Conduct for the South China Sea. An analysis of some of the major trends

Hambantota_Port Courtesy: Wikipedia
31 May 2018

The intensifying backlash against BRI

The high cost and political impact of Chinese-funded infrastructure in countries like Myanmar, Malaysia and Sri Lanka make it imperative for India to work with Japan to provide alternatives, to ensure that the region is neither bankrupted nor militarised by Chinese influence.

mahathir Courtesy: Reuters
24 May 2018

Mahathir’s Malaysian manoeuvres

Malaysia is in the eye of a different power game today. Fifteen years ago when Mahathir’s last tenure as prime minister ended, the United States loomed over the Asia-Pacific and Malaysia. Today it is an unlikely leader and Mahathir inherits a China-dominated Indo-Pacific and vexed internal politics. What changes in foreign policy will this entail?

MANILA, Nov. 14, 2017 (Xinhua) -- Participants pose for group photos during the 15th ASEAN-India Summit in Manila, the Philippines, Nov. 14, 2017. The 15th ASEAN-India Summit was held here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/IANS) Courtesy: MEA/ Flickr
18 January 2018

India-ASEAN: salute to a commemorative summit

This is a partnership that has been based on mutuality, economic cooperation and undisputed political closeness ever since ASEAN’s inception. Now, the path into the future has to be different: creating a new security architecture and determining ASEAN’s role in the Quad are overarching questions that cannot be wished away

IMG_1696 Courtesy: Arjun Chawla
13 July 2017

Remarks from Delhi Dialogue 9

This speech was delivered by Rajiv Bhatia, Distinguished Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies, Gateway House, at the Delhi Dialogue 9, for the session on Regional Geopolitics: Great Power Politics in Asia -Pacific in Delhi on 4 July

37733095_303 Courtesy: Deutsche Welle
27 March 2017

All that makes ASEAN unique @ 50

This regional grouping of 10 nations, which observes its golden jubilee year in 2017, has come a long way from the Cold War era when it was founded, making a significant contribution to peace, security and prosperity. Now, its future prospects and “centrality” look uncertain amidst the region’s changing geopolitics

28909667344_cad7ec10cc_k Courtesy: MEA/flickr
4 January 2017

Acting East: what does 2017 hold in store?

The year 2017 may change some equations in the East Asian region. Will the near parity that the U.S. and China currently share turn into a keener contest? Will strained relations between India and China persist? Donald Trump’s election as the next U.S. president casts the spotlight squarely on these inter-state relationships