From China to ASEAN: Rebalancing India’s trade
14 December 2012

From China to ASEAN: Rebalancing India’s trade

New Delhi has actively worked with Beijing to address its massive bilateral trade deficit. However, it has another option. India can seek greater economic integration with ASEAN and substitute its imports from China with that of ASEAN. The India-ASEAN Summit on December 20 would be a good place to start.

West Asia Courtesy: takver/WikimediaCommons
3 December 2012

Prioritizing West Asia

India is tied to West Asia by economic, religious and political threads. The ongoing social and political flux in the region can have adverse consequences for India and requires a serious rethink of its foreign policy priorities. How can India insert itself usefully into this geopolitical cauldron?

Courtesy: Secretary of Defense
28 November 2012

What China learned from Russia

The Chinese have learned from Russia’s past mistakes at reforming state-owned enterprises (SOE), and some well-connected politicians have reaped the economic benefits that followed. Will the new administration in Beijing reform China’s SOEs or maintain the large role of government in industry?

china party congress_0 Courtesy: Voice of America
28 November 2012

Deciphering China’s leadership transition

Rising income inequality, corruption and the ouster of former Politburo member Bo Xilai from the Chinese Communist Party were all significant aspects of China’s 18th Party Congress. However, the new leadership has committed to reforms and repeated that increased economic growth will be achieved.

Courtesy: WikimediaCommons
2 November 2012

China: New leaders, old policy

The new President and Premier of China will be formally elected at the 18th Party Congress of the Communist Party of China on November 8. Given the ongoing socio-economic issues and an increasingly independent army, will the new leadership bring about a change in China’s foreign policy?

green africa Courtesy: trendscout::/Flickr
4 October 2012

A Green Agenda for Africa

All the major economic forces in the world have come together in Africa in a new version of the Great Game. The competition for the continent’s resources will ultimately harm Africa unless Africa uses this opportunity to its advantage and to address its own serious problems.

pacific islands2 Courtesy: mpeacey/Flickr
27 September 2012

The geo-strategic Pacific Islands

Traditionally, the South Pacific islands have been considered strategically insignificant. However, the need for resources, and the geopolitical shift towards Asia-Pacific have prompted nations to realize that these small island states control large resource-rich ocean areas and are increasingly geostrategic.

Courtesy: alantankenghoe/Flickr
31 August 2012

On the fast-track: Technology transfer in China

Over the past four years, China has switched from being an importer of high-speed trains to the world’s largest manufacturer. Much of this can be attributed to the transfer of foreign technology to Chinese state-owned enterprises. How have Chinese government policies and economic heft aided this effort?

china environment_0 Courtesy: quinn.anya/Flickr
9 August 2012

The precondition of democracy in China

The ongoing environmental movement in China - like many of the country’s burgeoning social movements - and those involved in it, are using various strategies to demand one of democracy’s preconditions—the rule of law.