Courtesy: rahims/Flickr
China is quick in providing loans to execute domestic and international business plans, and returns are often forgone in the quest to own market share. Faced with an economic slowdown, will Beijing be able to sustain such unconventional economic policies? Or will its banking sector prove to be its Achilles' heel?
Courtesy: Ministry of Defence, India
Though India may seem to be mirroring or competing with China’s military build-up, it doesn't seem to be doing so in consonance with a long-term plan. New Delhi would be better served by avoiding an arms race; staying away from the U.S.-China rivalry and fostering stronger relations with its immediate neighbours.
Though some countries like Russia gained a strong foothold in Central Asia and the Caucasus post-1991, India has been a late-comer. Gateway House interviews former Ambassador to Azerbaijan Debnath Shaw to discuss India’s energy interests in the region, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the TAPI pipeline.
China has affirmed its status as one of the world’s leading space powers by sending three astronauts into space this week. Should India – which has one of the world’s six major space programs – take efforts to imitate its neighbour? Can it develop such capabilities? At what cost though, and for what benefit?
Courtesy: U.S. State Department
The setting for the third Indo-U.S. Strategic Dialogue is promising: a global shift of economic weight to Asia, U.S. military exhaustion and indebtedness to China and other factors call for a greater convergence in Indo-U.S. interests than ever before. It is essential then, to take bold decisions at the dialogue.
Courtesy: IAEA Imagebank/Flickr
Ahead of nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 in Moscow, the West seems confident that sanctions will induce Iran to settle on its uranium enrichment. But rather than arriving at a negotiated settlement by applying the principle of reciprocity, the West may look to anaesthetize oil markets.
Courtesy: Flickr/t3rmin4t0r
Banks around the globe would be wise to take a second look at what now could be the most significant agreement in international finance since the Euro: the BRICS currency swap. Though certain geopolitical risks are involved, could this free India from unpredictable currency fluctuations?
After the passing of Tonga's revered King, Tupou V, all eyes are on the new establishment for signs of change in Tonga's foreign policy. How will India, an old friend to the Pacific island-nation, fit into this increasingly important region? Can it build on traditional ties with Tonga?
Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs, India
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's recent visit to China, India, and Bangladesh is keeping with the U.S. pivot to Asia. The choice of countries has strategic significance for the U.S., where India is flagged as balancing the rise of China, and Bangladesh as a strategic base in the Bay of Bengal.
As India’s growth slows, it becomes increasingly important to enact reforms so it can return to its intended growth rate of 9%. Gateway House’s Hari Seshasayee interviews Anoop Singh, Director of Asia and Pacific at the IMF, to discuss the impact of the Euro zone crisis on India and the way forward for Asia.
