The deeper politics of deep sea ports
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a development strategy of the Chinese government aimed at enhancing regional connectivity and cooperation among the Eurasian countries—primarily the People’s Republic of China and the countries that spread along the historically famous land-based Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) and the Maritime Silk Road (MSR).
Pakistan decides
EIGHTY six million voters went to polls to elect the National Assembly of Pakistan on May 11. All interest was focused on Pakistan to see whether the elections could be held at all and who wins.
Will Nawaz Sharif be a game changer?
THE 2013 elections in Pakistan, historic in more than one sense, have thrown up interesting results. Though many had predicted the victory of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz, PML-N), but it surpassed many expectations and estimates as it performed extremely well both in the National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies in spite of the challenge of so-called PTI (Pakistan Tehreek Insaf) tsunami. It was expected that the PTI which campaigned very hard and promised 'Naya Pakistan' would make a dent into PML-N constituency. The voters turnout according to some estimate was sixty percent which may have helped the PTI in gaining more than thirty seats in the National Assembly for the first time. It has emerged as the third political force after the PML-N and the Pakistan's Peoples Party (PPP)....
Revival of US bases a suicidal notion
THE suggestion of Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin that US bases be revived here is like suggesting that the Philippines put itself in the line of fire in the event that a Korean war, possibly nuclear in nature, breaks out. It is like running between two cowboys in a gunfight as soon as they start firing. Such a geopolitically naive proposal will draw Korean nuclear missiles into Philippine soil. This suicidal idea is unacceptable, coming from a Cabinet member and a prestigious former...
Core, periphery and Indian foreign policy
DURING the recent months, the divide between New Delhi and Tamil Nadu was obvious over how both of them perceive the ethnic problem in Sri Lanka. Not long ago, Mamata Banerjee played a spoil sport when the Indian Prime Minister visited Bangladesh, especially over the Teesta river. In J&K and in Sikkim, the local population have a different perception on cross-border relations and so has India's Northeast regarding relations vis-a-vis Myanmar and Bangladesh.
...
China sets a new foreign policy agenda to enhance its clout
The contours of China's foreign policy under the new leadership became clear with the conclusion of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) held in March 2013. The conference approved senior government appointments responsible for the execution of the new agenda.
...
Understanding Myanmar's democratic opening
MYANMAR is in the midst of momentous political change, which has seen the country emerge from decades of repressive military rule and international isolation to be lauded by Western leaders as a model of political development.
...