Category Asia Pacific

Asia Pacific, Security & Conflict

From Balochistan to Beyond: How Iran emerged as a Senior Partner to Pakistan

November 6, 2024

As news of Iran centers on the Gaza conflict’s spillover, and news regarding Pakistan revolves around its ongoing strikes against TTP militants on their Afghan border, the tit-for-tat strikes on January 16, 2024, and brief tension between Iran & Pakistan…

Asia Pacific, Policy & Politics

Geopolitics and Revolution: The Superpower Nexus Behind Hasina’s Rule and the Future of Bangladesh’s Foreign Policy

October 24, 2024

On August 5, 2024, Bangladesh experienced a pivotal moment in its political history. After 16 years of authoritarian rule, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country following a student-led revolution[1]. Her departure marked the end of a regime that had…

Asia Pacific, Security & Conflict

The Dual-Use Nature of Space Launch Vehicles and Ballistic Missiles and the Complexities

October 17, 2024

Space Launch Vehicles (SLVs) are gaining prominence, even among developing states, as a means of exerting greater influence and leverage in space. These technologies not only add to a state’s technological prowess, contributing to its power and prestige, but also…

Asia Pacific, International Development

Rethinking Urban Employment Guarantees in India

September 27, 2024

As India becomes more urbanized, there will be significantly higher demand for public services and welfare support in urban areas. There is a need to extend income and consumption support schemes, similar to the flagship rural employment scheme (MNREGA), into…

Asia Pacific, Policy & Politics

China’s Strategic Ambiguity on Taiwan

April 21, 2024

In recent years, Beijing has escalated its bellicosity towards Taipei—not least when it launched a large-scale military blockade and imposed various economic sanctions after then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island in 2022. This trend of heightened Chinese…

Asia Pacific, Economics, Policy & Politics

In Hindsight: Evaluating the Complex Legacy of China’s WTO Accession

March 8, 2024

In the 1980s, a growing amicability in US-China economic relations began to emerge despite ongoing political tensions. Policymakers in both countries concentrated their efforts on formalizing trade relations, with the declaration of China’s Most Favored Nation status in the 1990s…

Asia Pacific, Economics

Unlocking BIMSTEC’s Potential: Successes, Challenges and the Road Ahead

February 28, 2024

In an era marked by unprecedented global connectivity and interdependence—regional collaborations, especially those structured around institutions, play a pivotal role in shaping the geopolitical and geo-economic landscape. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) stands…

Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Security & Conflict

WHAT IS ‘STRATEGIC COMPETITION’ AND ARE WE STILL IN IT?

February 2, 2024

The last two (Trump and Biden) US national security strategies have claimed that the United States is in ‘strategic competition’ (a.k.a., ‘Great Power Competition’) with the autocracies of Russia and the People’s Republic of China. What does the term mean?…

Asia Pacific, Book Reviews, North America, Security & Conflict

Cold Rivals: The New Era of US-China Strategic Competition edited by Evan S. Medeiros

November 8, 2023

Evan S. Medeiros offers a useful collection of essays that examine US-China relations from the 1970s towards our more recent, turbulent days. The defining characterization of US-China relations throughout the book is one of “strategic competition” among rivals. This is…

Asia Pacific, Security & Conflict

Unveiling Purpose and Agency in Kashmiri Women’s Participation in Militancy

October 31, 2023

The Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan traces its origins back to the partition of British India in 1947, marking the beginning of a longstanding dispute that continues to ignite violence and unrest in the region.¹ However, a pivotal turning…

Asia Pacific, Policy & Politics

The Contradictions of the Party-State: China’s Experience with the COVID-19 Pandemic

October 9, 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has reignited the debate regarding the relative merits of democratic, illiberal, and authoritarian rule; specifically, which system has more effectively responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, and more broadly, which political system has better addressed the expectations (and…

Asia Pacific, Europe, Security & Conflict

A World Historical Perspective on the War in Ukraine and the China-Taiwan Standoff

September 10, 2023

As the world faces a protracted war in Ukraine with no clear end in sight and a tense standoff in the Taiwan Strait with potential for catastrophic escalation, the time is ripe for a world historical perspective on these conflicts,…