The Liaoning is part of a three-way arms race involving the naval forces of China, Japan, and the other big Asian power, India. With China embroiled in territorial disputes with both Japan and India, all three countries are coming out with bigger and better warships to make sure they hold their own in the region. Read Here […]
In a nation long plagued by military coups, the question of who will replace Pakistan‘s all-powerful army chief has taken on new urgency this year as the country tries to shake off the legacy of decades of military dictatorship. Read Here – Reuters
Iran has positioned itself as an important regional actor in Central Asia and is committed to playing a role in neighboring Afghanistan. As U.S. troops draw down their numbers in Afghanistan, Washington should consider how improved U.S.-Iranian relations could further long-term U.S. policy goals in Afghanistan and in the region. Read Here – Carnegie Endowment […]
There are as many people in the PRC as there are in North and South America — and Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand — combined. Somebody’s forgetting India! Read Here – The Atlantic
Borders are fascinating places. The subtle changes in scenery and atmosphere as you near the limits of one territory and enter the orbit of the other; the way fencing gets higher and fiercer. Then there’s the shuffling of papers and passports, the opening of suitcases, car boots and, sometimes, wallets. Read Here – The Spectator
For years the Indian security establishment has been excessively obsessed with Pakistan and the proxy war it has waged against India. Over the past half a dozen years, the focus has gradually shifted to meeting the rising challenge posed by China’s rising military capabilities in Tibet. Read Here – The Diplomat
China’s leaders going back to Deng Xiaoping have made the case that the country could—and should—pursue economic reform before political reform. Now, they are pursuing neither. Why? Economic reforms, initiated at the end of 1978 by Deng, have enriched state institutions, and these institutions have been able to translate economic success into political power. They […]
China leads the world in infrastructure investment. New roads, new railroads, new skyscrapers, even whole new cities seem to spring into existence every day leave little doubt that investment has been ambitious. But has it been wise? Read Here – Tea Leaf Nation
China just released a host of encouraging new financial data, leading some analysts to conclude that the nation’s economic problems are “bottoming out.” Don’t take that for granted. China is famous for making up important economic numbers to mask serious problems—or to present a “harmonious” picture for its society and the world. Read Here – WorldAffairsJournal
The Indian Navy has had a big week. The reactor in its first indigenous nuclear submarine, the Arihant, went critical on Saturday, and its first indigenous aircraft carrier, theVikrant, was formally unveiled today. It’s long been assumed that one of the primary tasks of the rapidly-modernizing service and its expanding fleet is to apply pressure to China’s Sea […]
