The exit suits the relative aspirations of both nations. UAE with its world-class port infrastructure, financial centers, and geographical position linking Asia, Africa, and Europe, is uniquely positioned to give a push to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This newfound independence of UAE makes it a perfect match for China’s preference for flexible bilateral relations over the rigid multilateral regional forums.
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.
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.
Over the past 40 years, the U.S. has transitioned from an industrial to a consumption-driven economy. Manufacturing, which contributed about 25% to GDP in 1970, now accounts for just 10%. The outsourcing of production to China, Mexico, Vietnam, and others has led to the loss of nearly 5 million factory jobs between 2000 and 2020 alone.
A landmark event in 2023 was the MoU with Japan’s Rapidus Corporation to establish semiconductor manufacturing in India. Backed by Japanese giants like Sony, Toyota, Kioxia, NEC, NTT, and MUFG Bank, this move could be a game-changer for India’s electronics ecosystem, which currently lacks indigenous chip production.
The Pahalgam tragedy, coupled with Pakistan’s public admission of its role in fostering terrorism, presents such a moment. China must rise to the occasion—not by choosing sides, but by choosing peace. It must move from silence to strategy, and from passive balancing to active peace-building.
In this context—marked by fresh US scrutiny of tariff offenders—India has a unique opportunity to step in as a more reliable and less controversial partner for the US in supply chain manufacturing. A complementary—not adversarial—partnership with China could also benefit India in tapping the US market, especially since India has incurred a relatively lower tariff increase of 27 percent
While the opportunity is vast, the risks are real. Without transparency, environmental safeguards, and strong domestic ownership, the Dhaka-Beijing river cooperation could backfire. A 50-year master plan must be rooted in Bangladesh’s ecological realities, ensuring local participation, sustainable practices, and equitable governance. Otherwise, well-intended cooperation could become a boomerang, undermining long-term water security.
A multilateral maritime engagement with African countries, AIKEYME, is an initiative to enhance interoperability with the region's navies. The maiden edition of the six-day exercise being co-hosted by Indian Navy and Tanzania Peoples’ Defence Force (TPDF) will be conducted off Dar-es-Salaam in mid-April 2025 and will include participation from Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles and South Africa.
Although much has been said and perceived about China’s growing military competition in closing the power gap, this move to unveil the ruthless and fearful F-47 and the other assets is meant to checkmate Beijing’s ambitions in the Indo Pacific and demoralise other enemies who still doubt America’s long-term military and economic resilience.
The elephant is not just an animal, it is a symbol of power, royalty, and diplomacy in the pages of history. Myanmar’s gift of six elephants to Russia is not just a simple gift, but an important strategic move in regional and global politics.
Beijing - and therefore Xi - by virtue of his being in complete control of all affairs in the country have long been known to be determined to pick their own successor to the Dalai Lama, a portent that is profoundly troubling for some six million Tibetans inside Tibet and over 100,000 in exile outside, mainly in India.
Providing the ASHA workers employment would have a multiplier effect, especially through their empowerment. Imagine the extraordinary impact if a collaborative project, supported by both the Australian and Indian governments, were to train one million ASHA workers in India, using the online platform! It would be a true reflection of partnership and an unparalleled public diplomacy initiative.
Mao's Cultural Revolution reverberations were largely contained within then 'Third World' China, causing only stray ideological ripples across its borders. In contrast, Trump's actions challenge the underpinnings of the post-war political, economic and social global architecture in a highly interdependent world.
Some speculate that Bangladesh’s pivot toward China, which has invested $23 billion in the country, may have influenced US policies towards Bangladesh. With China among Bangladesh’s key stakeholders, geopolitical considerations will play a significant role in Bangladesh’s energy security treaty negotiations with the US.
Sri Lankan missions abroad have been instructed not to attend any official functions of Taiwanese missions that operate as cultural, economic or educational offices or meetings attended by the Dalai Lama. However, until last year, several leading Buddhist monks of Sri Lanka had participated in religious functions and conferences together with the Dalai Lama
The 12th edition of Ex Milan, held in February 2024 at Visakhapatnam, in southern India, involved the largest-ever participation, featuring the navies of over 50 countries and nearly 20 ships.
It was against this backdrop that the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Sri Lanka engaged with the fisherfolk communities in Northern Sri Lanka. During then Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda’s visit to China—which coincided with the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)—China pledged Rs. 1.5 billion (Sri Lankan rupees) to bolster the fisheries sector in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
