China in South Asia
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India’s Evolving Maritime Strategy
Throughout different eras of strategic competition, maritime trade routes have remained vital areas of contestation. The Indian Ocean connects Africa and Asia with a vast expanse of Pacific waterways and ports, at present hosting around 100,000 commercial vessels per annum,…
Revival of Bay of Bengal: Bhutan and Bangladesh Agree on Sea Port Access
Bhutan and Bangladesh have historically enjoyed friendly relations, driven by shared national interests and trade ties. While Thimphu views the partnership as strategically important for its access to the sea, Dhaka values Bhutan as an important trade partner. To carry…
India Should Facilitate the Repatriation of Rohingya Refugees from Bangladesh
On 22 March 2023, the Myanmar government announced that it would start repatriating 1,140 Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh starting from mid-April. The pilot repatriation program took off owing to mediation efforts by China, Asia’s rising power that maintains close ties…
The Real Cause of Sri Lanka’s Debt Trap
Sri Lanka’s debt default – announced in April of last year amid foreign currency shortages that had triggered rolling blackouts, fuel queues, and street protests – has been subject to endless debate by local and international observers. The root causes…
AI-Powered Influence Operations and South Asian Fault Lines
A recent report by a U.S.-based social analytics firm uncovered its first state-aligned operation to create deceptive political content using Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated video footage. According to the report, a pro-Chinese influence operation disseminated AI-generated news anchors at Wolf News, a fictitious…
Pakistan in the Indo-Pacific Framework?
Despite its strategic location as a primary littoral state in the Indian Ocean Region, Pakistan has largely eluded discussions on the Indo-Pacific. While the Biden administration’s expanded definition of the Indo-Pacific now includes the whole of the Indian Ocean, Pakistan…