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.
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 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.
China’s expanding influence in Myanmar and Bangladesh does not operate in isolation. It is reinforced by Beijing’s long-standing strategic partnership with Pakistan, frequently described by both sides as an “all-weather” alliance. In recent years, Islamabad has sought to revive and expand diplomatic engagement with both Dhaka and Naypyidaw, reflecting a broader effort to re-establish its presence along the eastern arc of the Bay of Bengal. While Pakistan lacks China’s financial scale or infrastructure capacity, its diplomatic signalling complements Beijing’s presence
China has accelerated building settlements along its disputed border with Bhutan as Beijing has erected over 200 structures, including some still under construction, at six locations, according to a report by Reuters, which has examined satellite images of the disputed location
India and China have been working on "mutual disengagement" and there have been positive developments, but the "threat" is very much high, Indian Army chief General MM Naravane said even as the 14th round of commander-level talks between the two neighbours were held Wednesday
China said on Tuesday that the current situation on the border areas with India was "stable" as it confirmed that the 14th round of Corps Commander-level talks to discuss the disengagement process in the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh will be held on Wednesday
China has removed People’s Bank of Sri Lanka, a state-owned bank, from its blacklist where it was placed after failing to pay a Chinese firm for a fertilizer deal
India will continue to take up with China the return of over 23,000 stranded Indian students, besides a large number of Indian workers and their families, who are currently stranded in India for the last two years due to travel restrictions imposed by Beijing because of the Covid-19 pandemic
It may be an irony but China’s aggression has pushed India to expedite long overdue military replacements and urgent purchases, writes Col Anil Bhat (retd) for South Asia Monitor
India is looking forward to a "constructive" dialogue with China to resolve issues in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh, sources in the security establishment said on Monday ahead of the 14th round of military talks between the two sides on the 20-month border row
In a veiled reference to India, China has said “no third party” can derail its strong ties with Sri Lanka, hours after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded his visit to Colombo
Sri Lanka and the Maldives, two of China’s close developmental partners in South Asia, have sought debt restructuring when Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded his five-nation tour that included the two South Asia countries
Sea cucumber farming is slowly becoming popular in the northern part of Sri Lanka where over 600 fishermen are currently involved in the lucrative trade
Security analysts are baffled how an agreement between ISRO and Oppo India has been signed as it greatly increases the security risk for India
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday launched the Pakistan-China Business Investment Forum to fast-track project approvals and investment proposals from Chinese investors
Sri Lanka has been looking to Chinese tourists, considered the world’s largest spending tourists, to revive its struggling tourism industry as Sri Lankan officials and airlines hold discussions with leading Chinese group tour operators
A week after a group of Indian parliamentarians, including a minister in the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attended a dinner reception hosted by the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi expressed “concern” over their participation and asked them in separate letters to “refrain from providing support to the ‘Tibetan independence’ forces”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Sri Lanka and the Maldives early January, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian confirmed, as Beijing seeks to enhance its influence in the region, considered as India's backyard
