Pakistan’s Soft Power
Pakistani television soaps and actors are getting remarkable traction in the Indian market, forcing entertainment producers there to make their content India specific. Read Here – The Dawn
Category: Asia
Looking East Is Helping India
The “look-east” policy launched by Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao in 1992 is maturing. Diplomatic and political linkages built up with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a dialogue partner, as part of platforms such as the ASEAN Regional Forum, East Asia Summit and ASEAN Defence Ministers’ (plus) Meeting provide the Modi government […]
And What’s The Third Surprise?
India’s new government has sprung two back-to-back surprises on Pakistan: the first was inviting Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to the swearing-in of Prime Minister Narendra Modi; the second was the about-face on foreign secretary level talks upon the resumption of dialogue. Read Here – The Diplomat
Whatever Happened To Modi’s Pro-Market Traits?
A fair assessment of Modi and his government depends in large part on what the public expects of the new team. Does India need only to reduce corruption and become more business-friendly? Or does it require more sweeping reforms? If it is the former, Modi is on track. Effective anti-corruption and pro-business measures are challenging […]
Showmanship Vs Substance
For this round, Abe and Modi nurtured their personal relationship and the summitry generated momentum toward enhanced cooperation. But tapping the potential for enhanced security cooperation and business ties will require painstaking negotiations to bridge differences. India is pursuing a hedging strategy vis-a-vis China and that places constraints on what will develop with Tokyo. Read […]
Mr Modi’s Balancing Act
In less than a fortnight after Modi ended his successful Japan trip, Chinese President Xi Jingping is expected in India. Xi has an ambitious agenda for his visit. China wants to take full advantage of a pro-business regime under the new prime minister and raise bilateral trade beyond 100 billion dollars. Economic partnerships apart, China […]
Deng Xiaoping And China’s Treatment Of History
The new 48 episode series, which began airing on August 8, is the first officially-sanctioned dramatization of Deng’s rise to the position of paramount leader from 1976 to 1984 during one of the most tumultuous periods in contemporary Chinese politics. Befitting its subject matter, the series appears to have buy-in at the highest levels: It […]
Engaging Over The Hump
After decades of pursuing Pakistan-centric war planning, the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force are recalibrating their sights towards the hitherto neglected northern frontiers with China, giving a hard push to improving its war-fighting capabilities against its more powerful neighbour and at the same time, increasing on-the-ground interaction with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). […]
Recording A Dying Generation
The legacy of tension has persisted for nearly seven decades, but one thing people on both sides of the India-Pakistan border have shared is the memory of partition’s trauma. Now, though, people who were children in 1947 are in their seventies and eighties, meaning that these common memories are fading. Read Here – The Atlantic
Japan’s Yasukuni Conundrum
The Yasukuni shrine, which honours Japan’s war dead, has long been a problem for Chinese and Koreans. The Chinese media often refers to the shrine as “notorious.” Read Here – Businessweek
looking beyond borders 