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Chinese President Xi Jinping’s September state visit to the U.S. produced no joint statement, indicating major differences, although both countries agreed Iran should not develop nuclear weapons and no country should collect tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. Tariffs on China remained unresolved. There was a staleness to the visit, with both countries’ leaders focused on the past. The visit appears to favour China, denoting its growing stature.
Courtesy: Al Jazeera
Trouble has erupted in Ethiopia again, and it is not just another Ethiopia-Tigray war. It is the convergence of several conflicts, within Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia, compounded by the involvement of external powers. Somalia sits at the intersection of a wider Red Sea rivalry involving Egypt, Turkey, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and to some extent Qatar. The crises are all coalescing.
Courtesy: Gateway House
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, currently stalled due to conflicts in the Gulf, may be an answer to the disrupted energy flows from the Persian Gulf. The proposed route, which connects the interior of Saudi Arabia to the Arabian Sea on one side and the Mediterranean Sea on the other, has immense value as a conduit for West Asian oil, as well as global data flows.
Courtesy: Gateway House
India’s Digital Public Infrastructure is spawning important services in agriculture which, when combined with Artificial Intelligence, is giving access to the country’s remotest and most linguistically diverse farmers. The state of Maharashtra is a case study in how this works, at scale and diversity. Components from the India example are being adapted in countries like Ethiopia with needs for similarly varied populations.
Courtesy: Department of International Relations and Cooperation, SA (DIRCO)
The U.S. will host the 2026 G20 Summit on December 14-15, but South Africa is not invited – a departure from G20 norms and a rebuff to Africa, the Global South, and the G20 itself. Its historic term as the first African presidency in 2025 ended on a mixed note: despite a successful summit, tensions with the U.S. and fears of retreat from Global South priorities left a mark.
Courtesy: Gateway House
The sustainability of the Mecca Accord is determined by its response to three geopolitical challenges represented by India, Iran, and Israel. The India test centres on preventing the export of South Asian conflicts to the Gulf, the Iranian test rests on institutionalising sustainable deterrence beyond formulas of perpetual clash, and the Israeli axis tests the mechanisms for reshaping Saudi ties with American security and the future of regional normalisation.
Courtesy: Reuters / Yonhap News Agency
The recent BRICS Summit in New Delhi was declared a success. Its 140-paragraph New Delhi Declaration is the longest yet. With members divided over the Russia-Ukraine and West Asia wars, leaders avoided naming countries or taking positions, focusing on issues affecting the Global South and deepening intra-BRICS cooperation. India steered the grouping towards practical cooperation. The question now is: how will BRICS implement the decisions taken?
Courtesy: Nikhil Bagul
Ganesh Chaturthi festivities began in Mumbai on September 14 and continue till September 25, when the city’s beloved elephant-headed God and Remover of Obstacles is immersed in the sea. Revolutionary freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak introduced the festival with its public worship to rouse the masses against British colonial rule. The revolutionary and the messaging of the festival continue to hold meaning in contemporary India.
Courtesy: South China Morning Post
In less than 60 days, India and China held four major bilateral dialogues, all targeted at finding a solution to the boundary issue whilst maintaining peace on the border. In August, they held diplomatic level talks, followed by discussions between the Special Representatives, culminating in a first-of-its-kind Corps Commander-level flag meeting in early September. Finally came the bilateral meeting between PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Courtesy: Global Times
Russia marked 22 per cent growth in trade with China in the first half of 2026, putting it on track for a record-breaking year. Three decades of growth have made China indispensable to Moscow, while sanctions-evasion networks have eased Russia’s isolation and increased dependence on Beijing. Wary of over-reliance, Russia has pivoted towards India and Africa since 2022, but these ties are unlikely to replace China.