thumbnail_IMG_1596 Courtesy: The Print
14 April 2022

AAP, ISI, Khalistan and the counter spin

Pro-Khalistan organisations have collaborated with the ISI to disseminate anti-India narratives and influence the Indian diaspora. While this has little traction within the country, there is a need for India to extend support to those expatriate Indian communities which are actively countering the misinformation spread by these organisations and Pakistan-sponsored fringe groups.

FILE - In this April 12, 2018, file photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, speaks after he reviewed the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy fleet in the South China Sea. From Asia to Africa, London to Berlin, Chinese envoys have set off diplomatic firestorms with a combative defense whenever their country is accused of not acting quickly enough to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. (Li Gang/Xinhua via AP, File) Courtesy: The Japan Times
31 March 2022

China’s military modernisation

China's 2022 defence budget reflects the seriousness of the Communist Party aims to fully modernise the People’s Liberation Army by 2027. Given the on-going border competition, it is crucial for India too, to optimise budgetary resources, intensify restructuring and enhance indigenous defence production, thereby improve power projection capability.

huri afghanistan Courtesy: AP News
16 February 2022

Afghanistan in the Sino-U.S. contestation

Themes of rivalry between China and the U.S., of China's readiness to fill the void left by the U.S. withdrawal in Afghanistan, dominate accounts of recent developments in that country. What does China's inclusion in the power game in Asia, with a geopolitical vision remarkably different from that of the West, mean for the developments in Afghanistan?

today hong kong horizontal Courtesy: Macmillan
31 January 2022

Today Hong Kong, Tomorrow the World

The contemporary fate of Hong Kong, which has known freedom and rule of law, offers in microcosm a glimpse of what could happen if the liberal world order is up-ended. In this book, Mark Clifford convincingly argues that what happens in Hong Kong doesn’t stay in Hong Kong, as he draws connections between the techniques used to end freedom there with China’s penetration and manipulation of open societies elsewhere.

Countering China's grand tech strategy Courtesy: Shutterstock
21 October 2021

Countering China’s grand tech strategy

In 'A Grand Strategy: Countering China, Taming Technology, and Restoring the Media', a new book on China's technological ambitions, author William J. Holstein explains China's push to advance its technological prowess, exploring ​the link between technology, politics and economics in today's world. In this podcast, he tells us more about this connection, which has often been overlooked by the American media.

GrandStrategy-Cover (1) Courtesy: Brick Tower Press
14 October 2021

American tech companies in China

Xi Jinping's crackdown on private tech companies in China has shattered hopes of Beijing being a 'responsible stakeholder' in a U.S.-led world order. American CEOs are also silent on how their tech products are used in China, especially artificial intelligence. The Federal Government should engage with these CEOs to moderate the proliferation of sensitive technology and prioritise national security.

20 years after 9/11, has the U.S. learnt from its mistakes? Courtesy: The New York Times
16 September 2021

U.S. 2001-21: Of Friends and Foes

After 9/11, the threats to America are right where they were 20 years ago: still in Afghanistan, and now backed by the strength of a state. What happened to America, that “shining city on a hill” that beckoned brightness to its shores and won allies? Some self-delusion, a belief that it was still the global monarch after World War II and the inability to distinguish between friends and foes.

Mission Shakti Courtesy: Press Information Bureau, Government of India
2 September 2021

A decade of autonomy in space

As the private or autonomous space industry becomes more developed, an interesting phenomena is occurring. The public sector which runs space programmes has lagged behind, but also profits from the recent success of private space companies are limited to direct stakeholders. After a decade of private investment, it is worth assessing why countries like the U.S., Russia, China and India have pursued independence from government entities in space over the last decade.

afghanistan airport Courtesy: Haroon Sabawoon
13 August 2021

Afghanistan: Limited options for regional powers

The Taliban’s rapid advance towards Kabul shows clear signs of learning from previous failures. The chances of a revival of the old Northern Alliance are minimal. Regional powers are left with the option of maintaining diplomatic contact with the Taliban whilst not taking any assurances on trust.