Indo-Pacific Security Quad Courtesy: Indian Navy
3 January 2018

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

2017-11 7389 Courtesy: Independent
1 January 2018

Trump’s NSS and Great Power competition

The camaraderie that Trump and Xi projected in November 2017 generated unease. At year end, Trump’s National Security Strategy did away with the multipolar niceties, but the challenges remain: for the U.S., it’s promoting rule of law while opting out of multilateral bodies. For China, it’s taking stock of how its image corresponds to reality

38665014532_cfcdf709c3_o Courtesy: MEA India/Flickr
1 December 2017

Ivanka Trump: family matters

The successful conclusion of Ivanka Trump's visit to India is yet another example of the expansive influence exerted by the President Trump's “special advisors”. India’s decision to receive the First Daughter is not only reflective of the country's adaptive diplomatic rulebook, but of a changing state of play in Washington

37575409684_6289864915_o Courtesy: Flickr/WhiteHouse
17 November 2017

Trump in China: ceremonial hits, strategic misses

The visit yielded no dramatic breakthrough. But Team Xi finally got the respect and validation it desired, and deserved. Trump rightly praised China’s success in meeting its own development goals and contributing to global growth. But he is unlikely to soften his stance on jobs lost to China or the more vexing structural issues

Bin_Salman__Reuters_ Courtesy:
9 November 2017

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.