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?

China-Japan relations have taken a backseat due to their economic hurdles and territorial rows. In order to increase its economic prowess in Asia, China needs to be more amiable with India and has to avoid any border disputes in the near future.

The Japanese purchase of the Diaoyu Islands is bound to have a negative impact on China-Japan relations. If these tensions in the East China Sea persist, regional business ties and especially China-Japan economies ties - a whopping $345 billion in two-way trade - will take a hit.

Both Tokyo and New Delhi see each other as reliable partners, and continue to do so after the Japanese earthquake and nuclear disaster. The Japan-India relations in the post-disaster environment must be understood in terms of humanitarian, economic and strategic dimensions.

The earthquake and tsunami - not to forget the nuclear disaster - in Japan, along with the escalating Arab Spring has trigged a series of geoeconomic events. What, thus, is the bigger picture that emerges?

To broaden its Look East initiatives with Asian nations, Indian policymakers must establish mechanisms and institutional structures to monitor these initiatives