PIB Courtesy: PIB
4 September 2025

What the China-India readouts mean

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to India comes after three years, and the outcomes from it throw up interesting issues. Three read-outs issued from this visit. One from the Chinese side and two from the Indian side. The diverse nature of the India and Chinese read-outs is striking. Certainly the visit yielded benefits; the test lies in the deliverables.

A community park in Nyingchi Courtesy: Nayanima Basu
4 September 2025

Talk Tibet, with candour

Today’s Lhasa is far from being a forbidden land where oracles are more common than human beings. It is a modern Chinese city, with swish hotels, art galleries and businesses. The transformation – and Sinicisation - of Tibet has accelerated under Chinese President Xi Jinping. The selection of the next Dalai Lama will cement the Chinese hold over that land

X  @Narendra Modi Courtesy: X / @narendramodi
4 September 2025

Modi in Japan: a larger Asia mission

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan is significant for India domestically and its extended Asian influence. His visit, just prior to the SCO Summit in China, represents a shrewd endeavour at balancing the several priorities of Indian foreign policy

G20.Org Courtesy: G20.org
28 August 2025

Appraising Brazil’s G20 Presidency

The G20’s current cycle is unique, with four Global South nations presiding consecutively: Indonesia, India, Brazil, and now South Africa. Brazil’s 2023-24 presidency exhibited both achievements and struggles, prioritising social inclusion, hunger, energy transition, and governance reform. The handover to South Africa marks a significant milestone in G20 history. Will the momentum be followed by the U.S., the next G20 president but also a G20 sceptic?

X  narendramodi Courtesy: X / Narendra Modi
22 August 2025

India-China risky boundary early harvest

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's two-day visit to India achieved a significant goal: to resolve the bilateral border dispute and ensure Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. It’s not a reaction to the U.S.-India tariff tensions, but a realistic policy compulsion felt by India.

Agence France-PresseGetty Images Courtesy: Getty Images
21 August 2025

Posturing over a Palestinian State

America’s allies say they will recognise a Palestinian state by September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire and a two-state solution. Apart from rewarding Hamas, creating a new state has multiple legal, cartographic, social and military implications that have not been considered. Better to provide much-needed food and medical aid for now, than posture for a solution.

Damon Coulter  SOPA Images  Alamy Courtesy: Damon Coulter / Alamy
21 August 2025

Rise of the Japanese Right

The recent election for Japan’s Upper House of Councillors is a pivotal moment for Japanese politics, revealing fractures within the ruling coalition and a simultaneous rise of the political right. Economic discontent, cultural anxieties, and effective digital mobilisation are converging. Is this a fleeting moment for Japan, or the start of a deeper, more profound change in its political landscape?

DD news Courtesy: DD News
18 August 2025

Alaska, the Summit of Summits

There was much at stake for the U.S.-Russia summit at Alaska – more than just the future of Ukraine. It will put the world back on economic track, and ease East-West relations, under stress for an on-going tariff war. For now, diplomacy has played a successful hand.

ANI Courtesy: ANI
14 August 2025

Is Russia a Red Line for India?

U.S. President Trump will meet Russian President Putin on August 15. A positive outcome may mean removal of punitive U.S. tariffs on India for buying Russian oil and resolving its dilemma of placating a partner country with growing commercial, geopolitical and defence ties, or pursuing strategic autonomy, keeping its old friends and take an economic hit? Is Russia the red line for India?

AFP Courtesy: AFP
14 August 2025

India-U.S. trade: geopolitics or geoeconomics?

India-U.S. trade negotiations have faltered. India stepped outside its comfort zone to offer zero tariffs on industrial goods that form 40% of U.S. exports to India, but the additional 25% tariffs have rendered most Indian exports noncompetitive. Only a carefully balanced, incremental negotiating framework blending economic pragmatism with protection of core domestic interests backed by political will, stands a realistic chance of bridging the current impasse.