Courtesy: Flickr/Times Asi
China's refusal to accept the ruling of The Hague greatly harms its international reputation and will fuel regional concerns about China's rise. Nationalist sentiments stirred up by a sustained media campaign heighten the risk of a confrontation, but there is also a possibility for the Philippines to use its new leverage to its advantage through new negotiations.
Courtesy: The Independent/AP
France's state policy of 'laïcité' (secularism) and its military interventions in Islamic countries has made it the prime target of IS in the West. The hardline French response to step up bombing campaigns against jihadis in Syria, Iraq, and Mali will likely continue, but conversely feeds IS strategy, which is to foment anti-Muslim sentiment among the non-Muslim French population.
Courtesy: Livemint
Indian infrastructure financing has for long suffered from rating concerns, but recent changes to credit enhancement are helping to plug this gap, enabling investment by foreign insurance and pension companies, and stimulating project exports.
Courtesy: Wikipedia
‘Make in India’ in defence production does not imply stopping arms imports altogether. Rather, it means importing only those components that cannot be produced locally, while strategically utilising offsets and building domestic capabilities that will enable India to export complete systems and sub-systems as an active participant of the global supply chain.
Courtesy: India Africa Forum Summit 2015
Prime Minister Modi’s tour of four African countries will seek to build upon recent high-level visits to the continent, providing fresh impetus for the reinforcement of India-Africa relations in matters of diplomacy, business, security, and energy while putting to rest criticism of India’s visibility deficit in Africa. However, the onus to harness this momentum now lies with other stakeholders.
Courtesy: Sputnik News
The recent terror attacks in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, turned the spotlight on the country’s increasingly violent and volatile political situation. The interplay of deep political divisions, the rise of radicalised student politics, religious extremism, which the government has failed to rein in, and the spread of trans-national terror networks has created a toxic cocktail in Bangladesh with dangerous implications for India.
Courtesy: The First Mail
India now sees Africa as a promising market for Indian goods, services, and investments. This is evident in the government’s recent concerted focus on the India-Africa relationship—high profile visits by top leaders to African countries, a recasting of India’s development diplomacy, and an attempt to match action to past promises
Courtesy: MEA / Flickr
The result of the Brexit referendum is nothing less than a body blow to Bretton Woods organisations, International Monetary Fund-North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)-World Bank, that originated at the end of the Second World War. The possibility of an Asian century becomes more feasible, if India can be nimble enough to make the most of the opportunity which has presented itself in Europe.
Courtesy: Business Insider
The message from Brexit is simple: the post-second world war financial, trade and industrial order and security arrangements that developed around Bretton Woods, have passed their expiry date. This is the time for countries, regional unions and global institutions to reform themselves – putting people instead of regulations and strategic objectives at the centre of their decision-making.
Courtesy: sarkarairtel
A recent visit to the capital of Norway---Oslo---offered the opportunity to study the country’s economic success story and note its increasing interest in Asia’s emerging economies, especially India, and immense scope for deepening cooperation for mutual benefit.