South Asia and Beyond

A Guide To Contemporary China

‘C’mon Workers!’ Sarcastic Slogan Unites Chinese On Weibo “C’mon workers!” This rallying cry which echoes China’s strident Communist past, has become a tool of sarcasm on social media. There have been a flood of memes and videos reflecting disillusionment with restrictive work practices. One particular two-minute video clip has caught attention. Consisting of two characters, […]Read More

‘We Shouldn’t Let Afghanistan Down’; India Also Calls Out China, Pakistan On Connectivity

NEW DELHI: On ‘Talking Point‘, Ambassador Asoke Mukerji, India’s Former Permanent Representative to the UN, who also opened India’s first Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan Embassies in 1992 and Niva Yau Tsz Yan, Resident Researcher, OSCE Academy in Bishkek in conversation with StratNews Global Associate Editor Amitabh P. Revi. The panel analyses the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) […]Read More

Oli Gone But Can Deuba Remain In The Saddle?

NEW DELHI: Earlier this week, Nepal’s Supreme Court delivered an order like never before, one that left no room for political manoeuvre by caretaker Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. A five-member Constitution Bench headed by the Chief Justice reinstated the House of Representatives for the second time in five months and ordered that Nepali Congress […]Read More

Rajapaksa Brothers Consolidate Power In Sri Lanka: What It Means

NEW DELHI: On ‘The Gist‘, Jamila Husain, Deputy Editor of the Daily Mirror in Sri Lanka in conversation with StratNews Global Associate Editor Amitabh P. Revi. Less than a week after Basil Rajapaksa, younger brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in as the finance minister, India’s High Commissioner Gopal […]Read More

Ethiopia vs Tigray: Between Shaky Ceasefire And Uncertain Peace

NEW DELHI: More questions than answers ever since the Ethiopian federal government in Addis Ababa ordered the withdrawal of its forces from the northern region of Tigray after nearly 10 months of bitter fighting and alleged atrocities committed by both sides. In this conversation on The Gist, Samuel Getachew, a journalist based in the Ethiopian […]Read More

‘Like The PLA, Chinese Diplomats Are Expected To Be Loyal To The Party’

NEW DELHI: In recent years, ‘wolf warrior’ diplomacy has come to be associated with aggressive Chinese diplomats who have fought, argued, and tried to bully foreign governments, media personnel, think tank practitioners and politicians abroad. Their behaviour is complete anti-thesis of what trained and practicing diplomats generally do. Instead of winning friends and influencing people, […]Read More

Theaterisation: The Road Ahead

NEW DELHI: If militaries the world over have struggled to achieve jointness, it won’t be a cakewalk in India. Getting the three forces—which have a history of working in silos—to work together is tough and voices of discontent have already surfaced. Comments by the Chief of Defence Staff that the air force is a support […]Read More

Southeast Asia Turns To China As Pandemic Cases Soar

NEW DELHI: Pandemic cases have recently soared in southeast and east Asia, ensuring that many nations planning to roll back lockdowns and other restrictive measures will have to think again. The first biggest sign that things were going wrong was Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga announcing a state of emergency in his country till August […]Read More

Indian Military & ‘Jointness’, Or The Lack Of It

NEW DELHI: In keeping with its aim of having a lean and mean military and bringing about increased cohesion among the three services, the government created the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) last year and installed Gen. Bipin Rawat. The next stage of higher defence reforms aims at creation of joint commands which […]Read More

A Guide To Contemporary China

Weibo’s Netizens Urge Trump To Join China’s web users are offering former US president Donald Trump a “new playground” on Sina Weibo after the deactivation of his Facebook and Twitter accounts. Describing Trump as their favourite “American comedian,” 78% of 4,500 users who took part in a survey, said they “very much hope” that Trump […]Read More

‘Widening Options While Ensuring Consistent Sensitivity To A Strategic Partner’s Interests’

NEW DELHI:  On ‘Talking Point‘, Ambassador P.S. Raghavan, Former Head of the National Security Advisory Board and an Ex-Envoy to Russia and Dmitri Trenin, Director of the Carnegie Moscow Centre discuss Russia-India ties with StratNews Global Associate Editor Amitabh P. Revi. India’s External Affairs Minister(EAM) Dr S. Jaishankar after meeting his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov […]Read More

‘Don’t Tell Me, Show Me, Prove It; Afghan Government Mistrust Of Pakistan Is Growing’

NEW DELHI: “The Taliban is moving against major strategic provinces in the north…giving it the upper hand..so that no security force recruitment can take place, but they’re also cutting out future opposition,” Bilal Sarwary, one of Afghanistan’s best journalists tells StratNews Global Associate Editor Amitabh P. Revi. On Pakistan he says, “mistrust is only growing. […]Read More

U.S. Exit 90% Complete, Taliban Continues Offensive

NEW DELHI: On ‘The Gist‘, Bilal Sarwary, Senior Journalist in Afghanistan discusses the situation on-the-ground with StratNews Global Associate Editor Amitabh P. Revi. The Taliban has launched an offensive on the north-western provincial capital of Badghis, bordering Turkmenistan after advances in Badakhshan, on the border with Tajikistan. This even as Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif […]Read More

Military ‘Theatre’-Isation: Tri-Service Conundrum

NEW DELHI: Of late, internal discussions in the Indian military about creation of theatre commands to bring in optimisation and synergy has spilled out in the public domain causing huge outrage and generating a lot of acrimonious debate amongst military veterans. What is the reality? Is India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Bipin […]Read More