China’s New Flying Propaganda Machine

Chinese state-run media is reporting that the People’s Liberation Army Air Force has modified one of its planes — what appears to be a Y-8 airlifter (basically, Beijing‘s version of the U.S.-made C-130 Hercules) — to carry the kind of broadcast equipment capable of taking over a country’s radio and TV channels. It’s another sign that […]

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The Faraway Neighbour

The “crisis” in India’s relations with Bhutan did not begin with New Delhi’s bungled withdrawal of petroleum subsidies in the middle of the recent elections. Nor has it ended with the claim that the next government in Bhutan will be “pro-India”. Read More – Indian Express

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Why Chinese Obey

There is broad consensus both within and outside China that the existing regime relies primarily, if not solely, onperformance for its legitimacy. Hence the popular theses of “resilient authoritarianism” and “adaptive authoritarianism”: the Chinese party-state has to do and has been doing everything possible to navigate a complex and sometimes unstable domestic and international environment […]

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A Case For China’s Slowdown

For China, 2013 is becoming the year of the credible shrinking GDP growth target. Earlier in the year, the old 8% norm was shaved down to an official estimate of 7.5% by China’s State Council. Last week, Finance Minister Lou Jiwei moved that to 7%, and said an even lower number was possible. Read Here […]

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Doubting Thomases

Doubts persist both in India and the United States on the substance of their strategic partnership. High-sounding declarations about the partnership being one of the defining ones of the 21st century, or one between “natural allies,” have not erased uncertainties in the two countries about the capacity and willingness of each side to meet the […]

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Only Talking Will Do…

Once an idea enters the world, it comes to life and affects the way we treat those around us. Reality takes on the shape of fiction. Narratives are one type of fiction. Economic models are another. Narratives are the stories we tell about ourselves and others to justify the way we behave. Economic models are […]

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