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How Myanmar’s State has Hollowed Out: Need for Engagement With Nonstate Actors

Myanmar’s unfolding reality demands a fundamental shift in how it is perceived and addressed by the international community. Treating the country as a unified state under a single authority is no longer tenable, and policies built on that assumption will continue to fall short. The challenge now lies in adapting to a fragmented political order while seeking pathways toward stability and eventual reconciliation.

Myanmar Election: Lack of Consolidated Initiative Leads to Return of Military Rule

The external support by China and Russia lent support to the Tatmadaw, especially during the elections, and while ASEAN and western powers have refused to accept the legitimacy of the election, many of the immediate neighbours like India, Bangladesh, and Thailand prefer what they see as stability under the military, given their cross-border concerns.

Edible Geopolitics: How Asian Cuisine is Leveraging Soft Power to Wield Cultural Influence

At a time when global consumers are increasingly drawn to wellness-oriented and sustainable diets, South Asian culinary traditions, particularly those rooted in India’s Ayurveda, offer significant potential. However, without institutional backing, this remains diffused cultural capital rather than strategic influence.

The Rise of the E-Dragon: China’s Dominance in an Electrified World and Lessons for India

The China tale offers important lessons. China’s rise in the renewable sector is not just fuelled by demand for clean energy, but by a broader strategy, linking energy policy with manufacturing, technology development and global trade. India now seems to have begun taking steps in this direction. Policy measures such as the production-linked incentives scheme for solar manufacturing and efforts to expand domestic battery production are intended to strengthen the country’s clean energy ecosystem.

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UN Rights chief to visit China’s restive Xinjiang province; HRW says need to underscore justice for victims

Bachelet, during her China visit between 23-28 May, will “meet with a number of high-level officials at the national and local levels, civil society organizations, business representatives, academics, and deliver a lecture to students at Guangzhou University,” the statement released by her office said on Friday

Chinese media defends India over wheat exports

But what came as surprise amid this report was the Chinese state media's defence of India after criticism from Group of Seven (G7) nations, ANI news agency said. Global Times, a Chinese government outlet said, "Blaming India won't solve the food problem."

Chinese power companies threaten to quit Pakistan over dues payment of $1.5 billion

Chinese firms also raised objections to Pakistan’s new draft renewable energy policy, which, interestingly, calls for international competitive bidding—something the Chinese have been advocating in the Sri Lankan power sector, mainly to counter Indian influence

China intends to keep boundary issue alive, says Indian Army Chief Gen Pande; efforts to alter status quo will be thwarted

In his book "India-China Boundary Issues", late Indian diplomat R S Kalha observed that, "China will continue its policy of keeping India strategically confined to South Asia with the active assistance of Pakistan, and strategically imbalanced by continuing incursions across the LAC.In such an event, there is little change that there will be any meaningful forward movement in the settlement of the boundary dispute between India and China."

No more body pushing on LAC; Indian, Chinese armies in regular contact, says Indian Army commander

“Earlier, we used to say Chinese have strategic patience. They are ready to wait. Now, the present India has come up a long way and we also have strategic patience and we are also ready to wait,” he said

When Chinese yuan challenges US dollar: Can India consider yuan-based payment mechanism to increase export competitiveness?

Currently, the total trade between India and China is exchanged through US dollar per se. As the Chinese yuan is not a global currency, it is more stable than the US dollar, writes S. Majumder for South Asia Monitor

In a turnaround, China offers to support Sri Lanka’s IMF assistance bid

Significantly, Colombo is also seeking bridge financing through bilateral means from India and China as the negotiations with the IMF will take at least three-four months. So far, New Delhi has provided assistance worth $2.4 billion dollars in form of lines of credits and loan repayment deferment.

Amid growing threats, Pakistan to review security of CPEC projects and Chinese nationals

“Conventional security for CPEC projects is essential, but state institutions cannot ignore the strategic and political context. Cursing external elements alone cannot solve the problem,” Muhammad Ameer Rana, a security expert, wrote in Dawn. He suggested engaging with the Baloch people to address their concerns, the most prominent among them are the cases of missing people.

Chinese phone maker Xiaomi's assets seized over foreign exchange violations

Xiaomi India is a trader and distributor of mobile phones in India under the brand name MI. It procures the completely manufactured mobile sets and other products from the manufacturers in India. "It has not availed any service from the three foreign-based entities to whom such amounts have been transferred," the ED said.

Chinese says it will take back 'some' Indian students, when 23,000 students awaiting return to their medical colleges

But there was no clarity on what China meant by allowing the return of "some" Indian students, when over 23,000 Indian students, mostly studying medicine in Chinese colleges, are stuck in India after they returned home as the coronavirus broke out in China in December 2019

Nehru 'made a blunder' in recognising China's claim over Tibet, but India's policy has changed since 2014: Tibetan government-in-exile president in US

India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru "made a blunder" when he recognised China's claim over Tibet but he did what he thought was best for his country, said Penpa Tsering, the president of the Tibetan government in exile, in Washington

India makes official clearance mandatory for tie-ups with China’s Confucius Institutes

“Any collaboration with any NGO/Foundation is subject to Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). Hence, all Universities/Institutions having collaboration with Confucius Institutes/Hanban/CLEC or planning to collaborate to set up Confucius Institutes (CIs) or any other joint venture in any other name will be required to seek prior clearance under FCRA,” reads the communication

Xi’s endgame and strategic power manoeuvres: Prospects of regional instability loom

In preserving its strategy of breaking the containment policy, Moscow, Tehran, Islamabad, Taipei and Pyongyang remain at the forefront. All five will be used as a bargaining tool with Washington and the containing squad in exerting greater influence and say on the pull-push tussle in the Indo-Pacific domain, writes Collins Chong Yew Keat for South Asia Monitor

China expresses ‘extremely grave concern’ over Karachi bombing, demands security for its nationals amid deteriorating security situation in Pakistan

The attack, which came hours before Sharif departed for his first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia, raised concerns both for Pakistan and China amid an increasingly deteriorating security environment in the wake of a spree of deadly attacks by the Pakistan Taliban (TTP), Baloch groups, and the ISIS

Why China pushes yuan as reference currency for rupee-ruble rate?

As China is the biggest trading partner of India as well as Russia, its yuan has significant economic and trade potential to mediate the rupee-ruble rate, writes S. Majumder for South Asia Monitor