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.
Days after the Sri Lankan parliament approved a controversial Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, the former president of Sri Lanka, has said that the country has been brought under the “dominance of a foreign country” and is in process of becoming a “Chinese colony”
The top Chinese and Pakistani leadership have pledged to develop the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with a focus on achieving high quality, Tribune reported
Myanmar, the Southeast Asian country hit by a serious political crisis, Is pushing ahead with plans to implement giant infrastructure projects that are a key part of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
Chinese are buying land around military bases in Japan, an episode that might trigger security concerns and further tensions between the two nations with already frayed relations, media reports said on Friday
A top Chinese official has opined that he hopes to see Afghanistan's future leadership pursuing a “moderate Muslim policy” and a foreign policy of peace to maintain friendly ties with neighbouring countries and firmly combat all forms of terrorism
Even as Nepal’s vaccine procurement woes continue amidst a surge in coronavirus cases, it has now come to light that the health ministry has been sitting on a proposal sent by the Nepali embassy in Beijing on procuring a Chinese vaccine
A study has found that while students from China were still interested in studying in Australia, some agents were insisting that students apply to another country, an immediate effect of the growing animosity between Canberra and Beijing
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has joined human rights activists in demanding a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics that is scheduled to take place in Beijing next year
Experts believe that the US is likely to make more use of drones to spy on China, media reports said
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang had a telephonic conversation as the two countries celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations
China and Pakistan have planned a series of activities later this year, marking the 70th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, reported The Express Tribune. Officials from both sides are planning to host around 100 events
China will donate 500,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine to Sri Lanka, the Chinese Embassy in Colombo announced
China is deeply concerned by the US Navy destroyer passing through the Taiwan Strait, Air Force Senior Colonel Zhang Chunhui, the spokesman for the Chinese army Eastern Theater Command, said on Wednesday
In an apparent response to China’s veiled threat of “damaging ties” with Dhaka over Quad, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her country won’t any advice that would cause any “damage” to her country
Bangladesh has signed a non-disclosure agreement with China on purchasing Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine and producing it in Bangladesh, a senior minister said
