Myanmar is making a transition towards democracy with an election on 8 November, 2015. The elections are expected to be free, if not completely fair. Countries, including China and India are watching the elections keenly with a hope that they will provide for a stable and strong government.

At a recent international seminar on BRICS Studies, in addition to the predictable themes such as building a multipolar world order and the One Belt One Road project, fresh ground was also covered, including the contours of the New Development Bank and the potential impact of the refugee crisis on BRICS countries.

The ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative announced by China last year is being actively implemented at the provincial level. A recent conference in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, provided a glimpse of China’s multi-pronged strategy to harness various resources available to make OBOR a success.

The nuclear deal with Iran benefits India and Pakistan in terms of energy security and connectivity. But both countries also face challenges in their prospective engagement with Tehran, and both will have to tread carefully while using the new opportunities.

The new guidance on the development of internet finance in China provides insight into the future of China's pioneering internet finance industry and the defining role it will play in the country's economic reform process

The recent re-evaluation by the US, China, Japan, and Russia of their military strategies reflects new geopolitical equations in which the Asia Pacific is a major strategic intersection. Turmoil in this region can impact India’s trade and security interests, and to avoid this India must craft a balance between its relations with all the countries involved

Narendra Modi, who spent nearly two months abroad in his first year as prime minister, helped India cultivate a wide range of bilateral and multilateral relationships. But of these, it will be the middle powers that hold the key, economically and geopolitically to India’s growth and security, and Modi must continue to widen his middle powers arc

Less than two years ago most Indians would struggle to name a Chinese company. Fast forward to the present, Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi is on the tips of everyone’s tongue. Chinese internet giants Alibaba, Tencent and Xiaomi have emerged as investors and major players in India’s fast growing e-commerce and internet space. Their emergence marks a new and exciting area of cooperation and engagement between India and China

While China will seek India’s cooperation on its ambitious ‘One Belt, One Road’ project during Prime Minister Modi’s visit this week, Indian policy makers must soon articulate a definite stand on this transnational corridor by bridging the country’s security concerns and the benefits of such an engagement with China.

With a massive, yet demanding middle class, the Chinese Communist Party needs a reliable source of cheap labor to continue to allow Chinese nationals to enjoy mass-produced daily products. step forward India, mass producer.