Officially, India maintained that no territory was lost. Strategically, however, many analysts described the situation as a shift in the status quo—an altered operational environment in which access, patrolling patterns and tactical depth were recalibrated.
India’s rise coincides with China’s structural slowdown, reshaping Asia’s strategic landscape. For Malaysia, the choice is not between India and others—but between preparing early for India’s ascent or adjusting late. Prime Minister Modi’s visit represents a strategic inflection point. Deepening ties in defence, technology, semiconductors, energy, food security, education, and culture is not merely prudent—it is foundational to Malaysia’s long-term prosperity, security, and strategic autonomy.
But in NSS 2025 the specific reference to the “Quad” appears less central as compared to its 2022 prominence. The document emphasized the allies assuming primary responsibility for their own region even as it identified the Indo-Pacific as a key economic and geopolitical battleground. It reiterates that alliances and strengthening partnerships “will be the bedrock of security and prosperity long into the future”
It’s heartening to see that China has resumed the pilgrimage of Indian pilgrims to the sacred Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region this year after a five-year break, and India has restarted the issuance of tourist visas to Chinese citizens suspended since 2020. Recently, several direct flights between the two countries have been restored. This development is expected to strengthen exchanges in people-to-people fields, as well as in trade, culture, and other areas.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has termed the timely completion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as one of the top priorities of the government and stressed that the government is taking steps to promote investment in the export industry in the Special Economic Zones
China has “greatly helped” Sri Lanka to preserve its independence and the former never invaded other countries, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said on the very same day when India was marking the first anniversary of its bloody Galwan valley border clash with China
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday declared open the China-Sri Lanka Friendship National Nephrology Hospital in Polonnaruwa, the second-largest city in the island nation’s North Central Province
Bangladesh has signed a deal with China to buy the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said on Saturday
India has asked China to issue visas to students and professionals who have taken Chinese-made coronavirus vaccines, which is one of the travel conditions imposed by Beijing to enter the country amid the pandemic
A Chinese national has been detained by the border security force, close to the India-Bangladesh border, on Thursday over suspicious activities, officials said
Two major railway expansion projects in Bangladesh being implemented with Chinese assistance have become uncertain following disputes over feasibility study and contract prices
Nong Rong, Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, and Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javad Bajwa held a meeting where they discussed Afghanistan and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor among other issues
Pakistan Planning Minister Asad Umar has exuded hope of securing finances for the Mainline-I project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) next fiscal, saying an irritant in finalizing a deal was the Chinese banks’ reluctance to lend new loans
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is now officially in its second phase of development, despite speculations that work on the USD 62 billion connectivity project had slowed down
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has invited investors across the world to tap the potential of Chinese-funded Colombo Port City and join a “transformational journey” by investing in the island nation
If the Quad can thwart China’s attempt to take over Taiwan, it will prove its relevance to the world and send a strong warning against the imperialist agenda of the ‘lovable’ Chinese Communist Party, write Pradeep S. Mehta and Krithika Subramanian for South Asia Monitor
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for the message the latter delivered on World Environment Day, which was hosted by Pakistan this year
Bangladesh’s elite security battalion chief has recommended a ban on video-sharing apps like Chinese TikTok and Likee as they are being used to “conduct criminal activities”, Dhaka Tribune reported
An effective response to tackling the coronavirus is impossible without knowing “exact information” on what makes this virus “tick” and hence it is imperative to investigate the origins of the virus, said Indian American attorney, businessman, author, and philanthropist Dr. Ravi Batra
