China's geopolitical aim in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region is deepening its economic ties with the region to the point where countries are drawn into its orbit by economic gravity
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.
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.
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.
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.
China's geopolitical aim in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region is deepening its economic ties with the region to the point where countries are drawn into its orbit by economic gravity
An India-US strategic defence coordination panel has discussed increasing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region with “like-minded partners” as security ties between the two countries steadily expand, no doubt with China - the unstated adversary - in mind
Ahead of the next round of Corps Commander level talks between India and China, which are supposed to take place in eastern Ladakh, there was a minor altercation between Indian and Chinese troops in the eastern sector of the India-China boundary, The Indian Express reported
Pakistan does not have a "China-debt" problem pertaining to loan financing from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, the county’s Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar said, dismissing a recent report, critical of the CPEC, by a US-based International Development Research Lab
Nepal's Ministry of Home Affairs has written a letter to the foreign ministry to take up the border issue with China, almost a week after a government panel’s report confirmed some of the boundary pillars were unilaterally shifted, a media report said
In yet another reminder that the de facto border between India and China remains contentious in several regions beyond Ladakh, details are emerging about the latest incursion by Chinese forces, this time in Uttarakhand's Barahoti region, north of the Nanda Devi biosphere reserve
Almost a week after China raised the issue of delay in several China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday assured the expeditious implementation of projects, arguing the difficulties were due to the Covid-19 pandemic
A panel appointed by the Nepal government to look into the boundary issues along the border with China has recommended forming a joint team of experts from both countries to resolve the matter, a media report says
In what is being seen as one of the most candid assessments of the challenges its ties with China, India’s Ambassador Vikram Misri has listed “avoid shifting goalposts”, “take a one-sided view of concerns and sensitivities”, and “viewing bilateral relations through the prism of relations with other countries” as “obstacles which could block progress” in the relationship
The various unilateral sanctions or restrictions on Afghanistan should be lifted as soon as possible, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang said, adding that Afghan foreign reserves are “national assets of Afghanistan” and should be used by its people
A Chinese automobile major has signed a preliminary deal that can pave the way to a bus assembly plant in southern Sri Lanka’s China-funded Hambantota port
A number of Chinese investors involved in multiple projects across Pakistan have raised the issue of outstanding payments with the highest level in the government as the Pakistan government is failing to pay their dues on time, media reports say
China Thursday cited a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution, issued after New Delhi's 1998 nuclear tests, to question India’s missile programme amid reports of an upcoming test for the Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile, The Hindu reported
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has conveyed to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the two sides should work for an early resolution of the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control - the de facto border - in eastern Ladakh and that China avoid viewing its ties with India through the lens of a third country
The situation in Afghanistan can deteriorate resulting in more turmoil, says India's Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, and China could potentially "step into Afghanistan" in times to come