Sri Lanka: Debt-trapped
China has replaced India as Sri Lanka’s biggest economic partner. It is gaining control of Sri Lanka’s ports, which can give it leverage over India’s external trade
Courtesy: Gateway House
Courtesy: Gateway House
Courtesy: pakchina.pk
Gwadar: challenged strategic asset
Gwadar has lain in relative obscurity since 1958 when Oman sold it to Pakistan. It was only 50 years later that the Chinese ‘rediscovered’ it. Pakistan and China have much to learn from the British experience of this strategic asset
Courtesy: Indian Navy
A case for the Quad’s reappearance
A noticeable feature of 2017 was China’s aggressiveness, which it deployed openly to advance its interests in the eastern rim, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and South Asia. This could well be the impetus for the consolidation of a broad front of China-wary nations in 2018
Courtesy: Pakistan Times
Pakistan’s risky experiment of mainstreaming extremism
As Pakistan prepares for general elections, its Army is working to bring terrorist and radical religious groups into the political mainstream. Its leisurely response to recent anti-blasphemy protests by the Tehreek Labaik Ya Rasool group and release of terrorist mastermind Hafiz Saeed are a part of this strategy
Courtesy: Debating Security Plus
Deterring the hybrid threat
From 26-28 September, Brussels-based think tank, Friends of Europe organised an online brainstorming on global security issues called Debating Security Plus 2017. As part of this, Gateway House moderated the discussion on hybrid and asymmetric warfare. Below is the summary of that discussion, from the final report of the Debating Security Plus.
Courtesy: Halifax Conference Twitter
Introspecting trans-Atlantic alliance at Halifax
The Halifax International Security Forum offered western policy makers and strategic analysts a chance to reflect on the state of the trans-Atlantic security alliance, especially with the United States under the Trump administration, its relations with Russia, and China’s peaking global ambitions
Courtesy:
Opening Remarks at the Second International Blue Economy Dialogue, Dhaka
These are the opening remarks given by Ambassador Rajiv Bhatia at the Second International Blue Economy Dialogue, ‘Promoting Blue Economy: Making the best use of Opportunities from the Coasts, Seas and Oceans’ in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He discusses the economic endowment of the blue economy and the necessity to utilise its resources in a sustainable manner
Courtesy:
Saudi purge: Arab Spring 2.0?
The removal of 11 top ministers in the Riyadh government last week by the young crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, is a geopolitical upheaval, the implications are serious. Domestically, the kingdom is seeking to liberalise its conservative society and move away from oil-dependency – evident from the expected listing of its crown jewel Aramco. For India, which imports oil largely from West Asia, instability could cause a spike in prices, leaving less for its ambitious reforms. Globally, there is now space for new alignments – in the Great Power plays, in the Shia-Sunni rivalry, and in the war on terrorism.
Courtesy:
The rise and rise of Xi Jinping
For the last fortnight, the world has been captivated by the events of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which elevated Chinese President Xi Jinping to the status accorded to Chairman Mao. Xi Jinping has consolidated his position in the CCP, strengthened his hold over the country and provided a policy road-map for the next five years. 'Xi' Jinping Thought' is now enshrined In the Chinese Constitution just as firmly as was 'Mao Zedong Thought'.
Courtesy: Stripes
Xi’s PLA agenda: real reform or power gambit?
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s reforms, some of which have been effected in the run-up to the 19th Party Congress, have served to both modernise the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and also strengthen his hold on it. They may also have resulted in adversely affecting the PLA’s combat efficacy