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
What Trade Patterns Reveal About South Asia’s Economic Future
One of the most striking features of South Asian trade is how little the region trades internally. Intra-regional trade within South Asia remains among the lowest in the world relative to geographic proximity. Political tensions — especially between India and Pakistan — have prevented the emergence of a deeply integrated regional production system comparable to ASEAN or the European Union. This is a major missed opportunity.
The West Asia Conflict: Challenging Times for Indian Economy
Scarcity of cooking fuel is pushing people, particularly across South Asia, toward hunger. Livelihoods have been lost among the large unorganised labour force while thousands of self-employed street vendors, smaller restaurants and eateries are being forced to close shop, facing a scary, insecure future. For middle class households across India, everyday snacks like the samosa or dosa have become scarce because of shortage and high prices of cooking gas cylinders.
New EU Medicines Law Could Impact FTA With India
India is one of the world’s largest suppliers of generic medicines and APIs to Europe. If the EU begins favouring “Made in EU” pharmaceutical production through procurement preferences, subsidies or state aid, Indian drug manufacturers could face reduced access to EU public procurement contracts and tougher supply-chain resilience requirements.
Caught in Geopolitical Quagmire, West Asia Crisis Looms Large Over Indian Supply and Demand Metrics
India’s pharma export market has been affected as India supplies medicines to more than 200 countries. Supply chain interruption not only hurts Indian producers but also creates medicine scarcity in the US, UK, and African markets that highly depend on Indian generics. From the logistics end, re-routing of cargo away from conflict-ridden corridors such as the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz has increased freight insurance premiums, distressing Indian exporters who function on lean cost structures.
More on Geoeconomics, Trade and Development
India to press China for the return of thousands of stranded Indian students and workers
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
India's defence modernization gets a long-needed fillip to counter future Himalayan misadventures
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, China to hold 14th round of disengagement talks on January 12
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
China says ‘no third party’ can derail strong Sri Lanka-China ties
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
Maldives and Sri Lanka seek debt structuring during Wang Yi’s visit
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
With China's help, sea cucumber farming finds popularity among Sri Lankan fishermen
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
ISRO's deals with Chinese companies are a security hazard
Security analysts are baffled how an agreement between ISRO and Oppo India has been signed as it greatly increases the security risk for India
PM Imran Khan launches Pak-China Business investment forum to fast-track investments
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 looks to China to revive its embattled tourism industry
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
Chinese ire over Indian MPs, minister meeting exiled Tibetan leaders
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 to visit Sri Lanka, Maldives in January
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
Chinese envoy's visit to Tamil-dominated northern Sri Lanka sparks curiosity, concern in India
The Chinese ambassador to Sri Lanka visit to the Northern region of Sri Lanka, during which he travelled to Jaffna and Mannar and the northernmost point of the island at Point Pedro, has raised curiosity, and concern
China: Contextualizing the duality in actions
China never accepts deadlines on resolving disputes; in the decades to come it's going to be a hostile coexistence for India and China, write Pradeep S. Mehta and Sandra George for South Asia Monitor
Maldives vice president meets Chinese ambassador in Male, reaffirms ‘One-China’ policy
Maldives Vice President Ahmed Naseem met the newly appointed Chinese Ambassador to Male, Wang Lixin, and reaffirmed the archipelago’s firm support for the “One-China” policy
