China in South Asia: Sri Lanka’s “Strategic Promiscuity”
Sri Lanka’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean has long been touted as an asset that could transform the island nation into a regional trading […]
Regional Affairs
Managing China’s Rise within BRICS: An Indian Dilemma
BRICS, an international grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, was conceived with the purpose of seeking democratization of international decisionmaking and an […]
China in South Asia: Key Player in Afghanistan
Security concerns have often placed Afghanistan on the periphery of Chinese diplomacy. After a long period of Soviet influence in Afghanistan from 1950 to 1980, […]
China in South Asia: Dragon in the Hills
Since establishing formal diplomatic ties in 1955, Nepal and China have shared largely cordial relations. However, the relationship has strengthened significantly after Nepal abolished its […]
China in South Asia: Bangladesh Walks the Tightrope
Despite early difficulties in China-Bangladesh relations, Dhaka has successfully leveraged Beijing’s growing interest in South Asia to its benefit. Though it backed its longstanding partner, […]
China in South Asia: Islamabad as Lynchpin of Beijing’s Strategy
Pakistan is a cornerstone of China’s approach to South Asia, a region whose natural resource abundance and proximity to vital maritime routes have rendered it […]
Exacerbating Regional Competition: Trump’s Counter-Productive Afghan Policy
Late last month, after the months of deliberation, the Trump administration announced its revamped policy for Afghanistan and South Asia. According to Trump, the United […]
Most recent
Whither Diplomacy? India-Pakistan Row at the UN
If the conventional wisdom is that diplomacy is all about calm, composed, and calculated speeches, then India and Pakistan’s representatives at the United Nations General […]
Pakistan’s Real Challenge: Putting Its House in Order
Using militant groups as proxies to attain foreign policy objectives is not new for Pakistan. It is widely believed Pakistan used militant proxies in the […]
China Pressuring Pakistan on Terrorism?
President Donald Trump, in an announcement on the recent overhaul of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, admonished Pakistan for sheltering “the same organizations that try every […]
Changing India-China-United States Dynamics in South Asia
China’s increasing economic and strategic footprint in South Asia poses a challenge to India’s own sense of influence in the region and its efforts to […]
India’s Discriminatory Rohingya Policy: In Conflict with Core Values
Editor’s Note: SAV Contributor Ankit Rana wrote a response to this piece, approaching the issue from the national security perspective. His response can be found here. […]
Reinvigorating India-Japan Defense Ties
For a country that twice punished New Delhi for its defiance of nuclear nonproliferation regimes, Japan has come a long way in its relationship with […]
Military Victory or Reconciliation? Prospects for Peace in Afghanistan
Efforts to negotiate with the Taliban have evolved since 2003 when talks with Taliban moderates were first proposed. Fourteen years later, U.S. President Donald Trump […]
Hot Takes: Trump’s Strategy in Afghanistan
Trump’s War: What Does Victory Look Like in Afghanistan? By Monish Tourangbam South Asia watchers had been keeping a close eye on the Trump administration’s […]
Climate Change: Direct Threat to Stability in South Asia
The political world is often preoccupied with questions of war and peace. Policymakers immerse themselves in intangible concepts like order, balance of power, and economic […]
The Perils of Regional Connectivity in South Asia
It was not long ago in December 2015 when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s brief stopover in Pakistan, after a visit to Kabul, raised hopes […]