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Southeast Asia
Malaysia’s China Moment: The Mahathir Gamble
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Aparupa Bhattacherjee
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Halting of two major Chinese projects - East Coast Railway Line (ECRL) and Trans Sabah Pipelines, which were an integral part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are perceived as a major setback to the Chinese investments. Will Mahathir be able to sustain this? Is Mahathir’s decision more to do with domestic politics? Will Mahathir’s decision make Malaysia-Singapore relations a collateral?
Aparupa Bhattacherjee is a PhD Scholar, NIAS
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s visit to China in August 2018 and his announcement to halt two major Chinese funded projects in Malaysia has created an international stir.
Halting of two major Chinese projects - East Coast Railway Line (ECRL) and Trans Sabah Pipelines, which were an integral part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are perceived as a major setback to the Chinese investments.
A section sees the move by Mahathir as a first blow against the Chinese expansion in the South and Southeast region through their investment funding. But there are larger questions. Will Mahathir be able to sustain this? Is Mahathir’s decision more to do with domestic politics? Will Mahathir’s decision make Malaysia-Singapore relations a collateral?
Deciphering Mahathir’s China Stance
Mahathir Mohamad, came to power in May 2018, with an electoral promise of dealing with the debt trap of Chinese investment in Malaysia. His predecessor Najib Razak was known for his Chinese tilt; most of the Chinese big project investments were signed and started under his regime. He was blamed for signing bad deals with China to bail out his graft inundated state investment funds. These deals left Malaysia struggling under $250 billion debt.
The above created an anti-Chinese sentiment which was encashed by Mahathir during the 2018 elections. Thus, his visit to China and his announcement to halt two projects was not a surprise and was expected to a larger extent. However, to expect this to be an anti-Chinese stand by Malaysia leading towards ruining the Malaysia-China relationship is farfetched.
China and Malaysia share a bonhomie. China is Malaysia’s largest trading partner for the last nine years. China is also Malaysia’s largest investor and also the main construction contracting partner.
Mahathir has been credited for this bonhomie! During his previous tenure (1981-2003) he built closer ties with China through his Look East Policy for industrialisation of Malaysia. During his 22 years, he had visited China seven times. As a result, the bilateral trade jumped from $388 million in 1985 to approximately US$1.8 billion in 1993. Plus, Malaysia is also credited for China’s full dialogue partnership of ASEAN in 1996.
Given the above history, the Chinese were not unhappy when Mahathir came back to power this year. However, in Mahathir’s end situation is different; Najib’s 1MDB deal scandal and growing resentment against the huge debt and ineffective Chinese investment had made the halt of two projects essential for Mahathir. Nevertheless, it will be naïve to take this as Mahathir taking steps against Malaysia-China relationship and against Chinese investment.
Over an interview to New York Times, he stated that he had evidence that ECRL could have been built by the local company for about half the $ 13.4 billion that Najib agreed to pay State-owned China Communication Constructions. He also blamed that even though Malaysia had already paid $2 billion of the total $2.5 billion for pipeline project but nothing has been built yet. Unexpectedly, there was no report stating that Mahathir has talked about these issues to his Chinese counterparts during his five days visit. The other issue that Mahathir has kept mum about is Low Taek Jho, the Malaysian financer wanted for his role in the 1MDB scandal, who Malaysians believe is hiding in China.
It appears that both Mahathir and China have played diplomatically. Mahathir mentioned about these projects only on the last day of his five days visit. Additionally, he just halted the projects and given an indication that this may be open to discussion. Similarly, China for whom these projects are significant as it is part of their BRI do not seem perplexed. The official statement has reinstated the ‘strategic and multi-faceted relationship of Malaysia and China’.
Hence, it’s clear that the halting of the projects is just Malaysian compulsion rather than their political manoeuvring against Chinese inroad expansion. As mentioned above China holds a significant place in the Malaysian economy, Malaysia acknowledges this fact.
Whereas, for China, the Malaysian project halt is a minor hiccup similar to the one happened in 2011 when Myanmar halted Chinese Myitsone dam project. China is well prepared to handle this minor hiccups.
Malaysia-Singapore relations: Collateral?
Mahathir decision to suspend the ECRL and Sabah pipeline projects does not impact Singapore, as this project would have focused on internal connectivity. ECRL was planned to be railway linking Port Klang on the Straits of Malacca to Pengkalan Kubor in northeast peninsular Malaysia. This also explains why the project was so vital for China’s BRI plan.
However, in general, Singapore-Malaysia relations did seem to be impacted negatively by Mahathir coming to power. Mahathir’s previous reign did not witness good relationship with Singapore, unlike China. Plus, his decision to withdraw Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project, the minute he returned to power strained the relationship and made Singapore apprehensive. Similar to the reason for suspension of the two Chinese projects this decision was taken in order to deal with rising debt of the country.
Nevertheless, Mahathir’s government decided to not to cancel the project as it will be cost intensive but negotiated regarding delaying of the project with Singapore. Fortunately, Singapore agreed and on 5 September a new MoU was signed by Malaysia and Singapore to delay to project by two years.
Thus, it seems Malaysia-Singapore relationship which has even historically been dicey, is as of now back to a stable. But whether Mahathir reiterates the good relationship with Singapore similar to his predecessor Najib is something to be watched upon.
To conclude, it is clear that Malaysia’s decision to halt the two Chinese project has nothing to do with them taking a stand against China. This decision is purely a decision taking for bailing the country out of the massive debt, which is evident from the similar decision taken for the project with Singapore. The decision is not going to impact the overall Malaysia-China relationship.
COMMENTS
Sourina Bej
With China’s expanding geo-economic foot print, debt crisis in the form of soft loans has become a concern and this is not the first time any Southeast Asian country has used this issue as a political gimmick and later gone ahead to forge larger economic sell out to avoid a bad loan. Under the political show, is Malaysia heading towards a larger economic crisis? And will the BRI and the Chinese debt trap create the pathway for another Asian economic meltdown?
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05 July 1962: Algeria declares its independence, ending 132 years of French occupation
Ayan Datta & Sayeka Ghosh
US Presidential Debate 2024: Trump exposes Biden’s weaknesses, promises stronger America
Dhriti Mukherjee
Haiti: The UN backed Kenyan police force lands
Prajwal T V
Julian Assange: The WikiLeaks founder pleads guilty, ending a long legal stand-off with the US
IPRI Team
The US: President Biden announces new executive order allowing hundreds of thousands of immigrants to get citizenship
IPRI Team
Israeli forces shot Palestinians in West Bank
Dhriti Mukherjee
Mexico Elections 2024: A Historic Moment sees a First Woman President in North America
Dhriti Mukherjee
The US: Jury finds Donald Trump Guilty on 34 counts. Five Takeaways of the verdict
By young scholars of NIAS Course on Global Politics: Contemporary World Order and Theories. Compiled by Sayeka Ghosh.
South Korea Elections 2024: An interview with Dr Sandip Mishra and Dr Vyjayanti Raghavan
By the NIAS-IPRI Course scholars on Contemporary Conflicts, Peace Processes, Theories and Thinkers. Compiled by Ayan Datta.
The War in Gaza: An Interview with Dr Stanly Johny
Rohini Reenum
Ebrahim Raisi: An Untimely Death, and What it means for Iran and its Neighbourhood
NIAS South Asia Team
South Asia This Week (21 Apr- 27 Apr 2024)
NIAS South Asia Team
South Asia This Week (14 Apr -20 Apr 2024)
Devi Chandana M
Seychelles-India Relations: Five Areas of Partnership
Sayeka Ghosh
26 April 1986: Chernobyl nuclear accident
Arya Prasad
Elections in South Korea: Six Takeaways
Sayeka Ghosh
Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, 13 years later: Energy Debate, Safety Concerns and Global Fallouts
Diya Madhavan
The Rise of Temu: A Chinese online shopping app in the US
Ramya B
4 April 1968: Martin Luther King Jr assassinated
NIAS South Asia Team
South Asia This Week (25 Mar- 01 Apr 2024)
T C A Raghavan
March 1739: Nadir Shah invades Delhi
Karthik Manoharan
17 March 1992: The end of Apartheid in South Africa
Rosemary Kurian
18 March 2014: Russia annexes Crimea
Manasa G
14 March 1879: Albert Einstein born in Germany
D Rohan Kumar
11 March 1985: Mikhail Gorbachev becomes the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Sivasubramanian K
09 March 1776: Adam Smith publishes “The Wealth of Nations”
LS Hareesh
14 March 1849: The Sikh Army surrenders to the British
Ramya B
12 March 1918: Lenin shifts the capital to Moscow
NIAS South Asia Team
South Asia This Week (2-9 Mar 2024)
NIAS South Asia Team
South Asia This Week (26 Feb-02 Mar 2024)
NIAS South Asia Team
South Asia This Week (11-17 Feb 2024)
NIAS Latin America Team
Latin America This Week (3-10 Feb 2024)
NIAS South Asia Team
South Asia This Week (3-10 Feb 2024)
IPRI Team
NIAS-Conflict Weekly Special Alert | The War in Gaza: Fifteenth Week
Bibhu Prasad Routray
Myanmar: Ethnic Armed Organizations, China’s Mediation and Continuing Fighting
Femy Francis
Taiwan Election 2024: The return of DPP
IPRI Team
NIAS-Conflict Weekly Special Alert | The War in Gaza: Fourteenth Week
IPRI Team
NIAS-Conflict Weekly Special Alert | The War in Gaza: Thirteen Week
IPRI Team
NIAS-Conflict Weekly Special Alert | The War in Gaza: Twelfth Week
CEAP Team
NIAS- CEAP- China Reader | Daily Briefs
IPRI Team
NIAS-Conflict Weekly Special Alert | The War in Gaza: Eleventh Week
IPRI Team
NIAS-Conflict Weekly Special Alert | The War in Gaza: Tenth Week
IPRI Team
NIAS-Conflict Weekly Special Alert | The War in Gaza: Nineth Week
IPRI Team
NIAS-Conflict Weekly Special Alert | The War in Gaza: Eigth Week
IPRI Team
NIAS-Conflict Weekly Special Alert | The War in Gaza: Seventh Week
Amit Gupta
The War in Gaza: Consequences for Israel and the US
IPRI Team
NIAS-Conflict Weekly Special Alert | The War in Gaza: Sixth Week
IPRI Team
NIAS-Conflict Weekly Special Alert | The War in Gaza: Fifth Week
IPRI Team
NIAS-Conflict Weekly Special Alert | The War in Gaza: Fourth Week
Prof Joyati Bhattacharya
G20 Summit: India the Global Host
Lakshmi Parimala H
Mural, Movie and the Map: Akhand Bharat mural and Adipurush
Amit Gupta
The Trump Phenomenon: Why it Won’t Go
Vignesh Ram | Assistant Professor | Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal
Malaysia’s recent Elections: More questions than answers
Rashmi BR and Akriti Sharma
COP27: Ten key takeaways
Sethuraman Nadarajan
Israel-Lebanon Maritime Border Deal
Avishka Ashok
G20 Summit: Four takeaways from Bali
Dr Beena
Sri Lanka’s political and economic crisis: Implications for India
Sourina Bej
The UK: Domestic, regional and global challenges to the new Prime Minister
Naina Singh
India-Taiwan Relations: Making a Case for Active Sub-National Diplomacy with Tamil Nadu
Amit Gupta
Afghanistan, AUKUS, and Ukraine: A new strategy for India
Porkkodi Ganeshpandian and Angkuran Dey
The return of the Left
Shalini Balaiah
The Middle East in 2021: Never-ending wars and conflicts
Prakash Panneerselvam
East Asia in 2021: New era of hegemonic competition
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
The unrest in Kazakhstan: Look beyond the trigger
STIR Team
Living with Risks: The Art and Science of Managing Public Risks
Aswathy Koonampilly
Japan: New Prime Minister, Old party
Vineeth Daniel Vinoy
Afghanistan: Who is who in the interim Taliban government? And, what would be the government structure?
Joeana Cera Matthews
Haiti: Two months after the assassination, the storm is still brewing
Lokendra Sharma
Two months of Cuban protests: Is the ‘revolution’ ending?
Bhuvan Ningania
In Afghanistan, the Indian influence will not fade: Four reasons why
Dincy Adlakha
China and Russia in Myanmar: The interests that bind
Jeshil J Samuel
REvil is dead. Long live REvil
Lokendra Sharma
The future of nuclear energy looks bleak
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Five reasons why Afghanistan is closer to a civil war
Joeana Cera Matthews
Farfetched goals on pandemic recovery, climate action and economic revival
Gurpreet Singh
India and the geopolitics of supply chains
Anju Joseph
Timor Leste: Instability continues, despite 19 years of independence
Sarthak Jain
India should invest in technology to meet China's water challenge
Sourina Bej
Fresh election-call mean unending cycle of instability
Vibha Venugopal
The return of Taliban will be bad news for women
Dincy Adlakha
The SCRI will fail before it takes off, for three reasons
Udbhav Krishna P
Revisiting the recent violence: Three takeaways
Joeana Cera Matthews
For the Economist, Taiwan is the most dangerous place. The argument is complicated
Julia Mathew
Though the US is late to the race, it has an edge. Three reasons why
Dhanushaa P
Between "strategic patience" and "grand bargain," Biden's policy options on Pyongyang are limited
SDP Scholars
US, China, and the race to Mars, Cryptocurrencies face a setback as states pose hurdles, Polar Regions and Climate Change
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
The US decision to withdraw is a call made too early. Three reasons why
Rashmi BR
As Russia takes over the Arctic Council chair from Iceland, will it balance its regional and national interests?
Lokendra Sharma
Learning from Cuba's vaccine development efforts
GP Team
The US' Leaders Summit on Climate: Global Issue, Regional Prisms
V S Ramamurthy and Dinesh K Srivastava
An energy mix of renewables and nuclear is the most viable option
Lokendra Sharma
Deadly second wave spirals into a humanitarian disaster
Harini Madhusudan
The Greenland election result is all about eco-geopolitics, and growing Chinese interests
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
The US-Taliban Deal: One Year Later
Akriti Sharma
The Quad Plus and the search beyond the four countries
Avishka Ashok
Despite the economic challenges, there are opportunities for Quad
Apoorva Sudhakar
India's Endgames, Roles and Limitations in Quad
Sukanya Bali
Tracing the Quad's evolution in the last two decades
Apoorva Sudhakar
Ethiopia: Five fallouts of the military offensive in Tigray
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Afghanistan: The recent surge in targeted killing vs the troops withdrawal
Avishka Ashok
In Argentina, an extraordinarily progressive law on abortion brings the Conservatives to protest
Harini Madhusudan
In Poland, the protests against the abortion law feed into anti-government sentiments
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
In Honduras, a move towards a permanent ban on abortion laws
Sukanya Bali
In Thailand, the new abortion law poses more questions
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Civilian protests vs military: Three factors will decide the outcome in Myanmar
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Trump’s Climate Change legacy: Disruption and Denial
Apoorva Sudhakar
Trump’s Iran legacy: Maximum pressure, minimum results
N Manoharan and Drorima Chatterjee
Five ways India can detangle the fishermen issue with Sri Lanka
GP Team
Iran’s decision to enrich its Uranium by 20 per cent: What does it mean?
GP Team
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP): Global and Regional Implications
D Suba Chandran
The Hazaras protest over burying the dead; PM says don’t blackmail me
D Suba Chandran
The PDM differences, Gwadar fencing, and Lakhvi's arrest
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Nagorno-Karabakh: Rekindled fighting, Causalities and a Ceasefire
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Thailand: For the pro-democracy protests, it is a long march ahead
Mallika Devi
Hong Kong: Slow Strangulation of Protests, Security Law and China's victory
Harini Madhusudan
Brexit: A year of the UK-EU transition talks and finally, a Deal
Kamna Tiwary
Europe: From anti-government protests in Belarus to ‘United for Abortion’ in Poland
Apoorva Sudhakar
Ethiopia: The conflict in Tigray and the regional fallouts
Teshu Singh
India and China: A tense border with compromise unlikely
Sourina Bej
France: Needs to rethink the state-religion relation in battling extremism
Rashmi Ramesh
Abraham Accords: Rethinking Diplomacy and Restructuring Priorities in the Middle East
Aparaajita Pandey
The Americas: Top Five Developments
Teiborlang T Kharsyntiew
Europe: Top five developments
Sandip Kumar Mishra
East Asia: Top Five developments in 2020
Sourina Bej
The Brexit Endgame: A Trade deal, but it is yet to be over for the UK-EU
Harini Madhusudan
Outer Space in 2020: Missions, Privatization, and the Artemis Accords
Gunjan Singh
China and the US in 2020: Year of Continuing Confrontation
Sukanya Bali
5G, Huawei and TikTok: Four trends in 2020
Sumedha Chatterjee
COVID-19: How the world fought in 2020
GP Team
The World This Year: What happened, What paused and What failed
Rashmi Ramesh
Trump legacy leaves negligible space for any policy changes
Harini Madhusudan
The Vaccine Rush: Expectations vs Realities
Harini Madhusudan
Open Skies Treaty: The US should not have withdrawn, for five reasons
Sukanya Bali
Three reasons why the US wants to restrict, but China wants to promote it
Savithri Sellapperumage
Kamala Harris makes history
Harini Madhusudan
Australia joins the Malabar exercise. However, the Quad has a long way to go
Rashmi Ramesh
Climate Change Protests: Now moving out of the COVID-19 shadow
Mallika Devi
China is against the Quad. Five reasons why
Srikumar Pullat
Space of Tomorrow: The Need for Space Security
Harini Madhusudan
Japan- South Korea: Will there be a reset in bilateral relations under the new Japanese PM?
Lokendra Sharma
Bahrain and the UAE have normalized ties with Israel. Five reasons why
Nancy Pathak
Indonesia and the South China Sea: Between the Nine-Dash Line and an EEZ
Shreya Sinha
Despite Brexit, the UK is unlikely to disengage from the EU in their defence and security cooperation. Why?
Kamna Tiwary
Abe's Indo-Pacific legacy: Will the new PM follow it up?
Tamanna Khosla
Japan: New Prime Minister, Old Challenges
Vaishali Handique
Not just regime change: Women and protest movements in Sudan
Sneha Tadkal
Technology in contemporary global protest movements
Unnikrishnan M J
Rise of the middle class: Independence protest movements in Catalonia
Rashmi Ramesh
#FridaysforFuture: The global protests against Climate Change
A Padmashree
Looking Inwards: The anti-government protests in Iran
Oviya A J
#NiUnaMenos: Women and protest movements in Latin America
Harini Sha P
Solve economic crisis: Indigenous movements in Latin America
Chavindi Weerawansha
Students as agents of change: Protest movements in Zimbabwe
Arjun C
Digital platforms as tools: Rise of Anti-Fracking protest movements across the world
Anju Annie Mammen
“Unveiling”: Women and protest movements in the Middle East
Harini Madhusudan
‘The Revolution of Our Times’: Protests in Hong Kong
Sourina Bej
‘The yellow vests will triumph’: The middle and working class protests in France
Lakshmi V Menon
Will the Abraham Accord lead to peace, or is it the end of Palestine state?
Samreen Wani
Lebanon: Can Macron's visit prevent the unravelling?
Sankalp Gurjar
In Sudan, the government signs an agreement with the rebels. However, there are serious challenges
Harini Madhusudan
The Legacy of Shinzo Abe. It is Complicated.
Sourina Bej
Despite the UK ban, it is not over yet for China. For three reasons.
Harini Madhusudan
A Zero-Sum Game: At the core of the US-China rivalry, is an Isolate-China policy
Samreen Wani
Iran Nuclear Deal: It is time to write the obituary, for three reasons
Padmashree A
Yemen and Oil, MBS’s two-path destruction in Saudi Arabia
Boa Wang
Two Sessions in Beijing
Adnan Aziz Chowdhury
For Bangladesh, it was Nationwide Lockdown, Checking High Inflation & Critical Social Media
Mahesh Bhatta
For Nepal, it is effective local governments, educative media, and India-Nepal health diplomacy
Boa Wang
How China fought the COVID-19
N. Manoharan
Is COVID-19 a Bio-weapon from China?
Prof PM Soundar Rajan
Is there an overlap of 5G Networks and COVID hotspots?
Harini Sha P
The problem is not just Haftar. It is the international hunger for the Libyan Oil
Rashmi Ramesh
Will COVID-19 provide a new agenda to the NAM?
Sourina Bej
EU, minus the US, leads the global cooperation for the vaccine
D. Suba Chandran
Healing needs Forgiveness, Accountability, Responsibility and Justice
Harini Madhusudan
Iran's New Military Satellite: Does it violate the UNSC 2231?
La Toya Waha
One year after the Easter Attacks in Sri Lanka: Have the Islamists Won?
Jenice Jean Goveas
Epidemics through History
Sanduni Atapattu
Preventing hatred and suspicion would be a bigger struggle
Chavindi Weerawansha
A majority in the minority community suffers, for the action of a few
Chrishari de Alwis Gunasekare
The Cardinal sermons for peace, with a message to forgive
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Who and Why of the Perpetrators
Natasha Fernando
In retrospect, where did we go wrong?
Ruwanthi Jayasekara
Build the power of Co-existence, Trust, Gender and Awareness
N Manoharan
New ethnic faultlines at macro and micro levels
Asanga Abeyagoonasekera
A year has gone, but the pain has not vanished
Kabi Adhikari
In Nepal, it is a struggle for the women out of the patriarchal shadows
Jenice Jean Goveas
In India, the glass is half full for the women
Fatemah Ghafori
In Afghanistan, there is no going back for the women
Sukanya Bali
One month after the deal with the Taliban: Problems Four, Progress None
Lakshmi V Menon
The decline in terrorism in Pakistan in 2019
Rashmi Ramesh
The EU and the Arctic: The interest is not mutual. Why?
Rashmi Ramesh
Iceland, Denmark and Norway: Small is Big in the Arctic
Harini Madhusudan
The Non-Arctic powers: Interests of Japan and South Korea
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Malaysia: New PM, Old Challenges
La Toya Waha
The Bar Shooting in Germany: Just an act of a crazy individual?
Rohej Khatiwada
Small countries in the SAARC: Will they succeed in reviving regional cooperation?
Lakshmi V Menon
Pakistan to remain “Grey”; North Korea and Iran in “Black”
Rashmi Ramesh
Trump's India Visit: Optics, Substance and Rhetoric
Kabi Adhikari
The controversial MCC Nepal Compact
Malini Sethuraman
ISIS post Baghdadi: Will there be another Caliphate in 2020?
Aarathi Srinivasan
Climate Change: The Economy of the Indian Ocean Region in 2020
Roshni Sharma
Climate Change: The New Refugees Paradox in South and East Asia in 2020
Rashmi Ramesh
Addressing Climate Change: Calamities, Risks and Protests in 2020
Dhruv Ashok
India-Pakistan Relation: Will it get worse in 2020?
Prathiksha Ravi
Israel and the Middle East: The New Alliance Plans in 2020
Aswathy K
The US in the Middle East: Flux or Status Quo in 2020?
Padmini Anilkumar
Middle East: The Return of Russia in 2020
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Sudan and Algeria: Road to Democracy in 2020
Lakshmi V Menon
Syria: ISIS Decline, US Retreat and the Return of Russia in 2020
Sourina Bej
The Pangs of BREXIT: UK's Tough Transition in 2020
Sukanya Bali
The Belt and Road Initiative: A New Global Connectivity Map in 2020
Harini Madhusudan
The US-China Trade Dispute: Towards further disruptions in 2020
Parikshith Pradeep
The US under Donald Trump: The Fall of an Empire in 2020
Boa Wang
China in 2019: 70th Anniversary, Rise of Domestic Animation and the Commercialization of 5G
Vivek Mishra
After Soleimani assassination: Options for the US
Sukanya Bali
Iran, Iraq and the US: Who wants what?
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Old problems to persist with no solutions in the near term
Aashiyana Adhikari
Indian and Chinese investments in Nepal: Managing asymmetry
Shailesh Nayak | Director, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS)
Blue Economy and India: An Introduction
Lakshmi V Menon
The Middle East in 2019: Domestic Protests, Bilateral Conflicts and Regional Tensions
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
North Africa in 2019: A year of protests, with some positive results
Sukanya Bali
Hong Kong in 2019: China's New Achilles Heel
Harini Madhusudan
The US-China Trade Dispute in 2019: Towards a thaw in 2020?
Parikshith Pradeep
The US in 2019: Trump rollsout a template for a global American retreat
Sourina Bej
Europe in 2019: Hard Brexit for the UK, Systemic Struggle for the EU
Rashmi Ramesh
Climate Change in 2019: Active Civil Society, Hesitant State
Rashmi Ramesh
The Arctic Littorals: Iceland and Greenland
Harini Madhusudan
The Polar Silk Route: China's ambitious search in the Arctic
Parikshith Pradeep
The Scientific Imbalance: Is technology rightly being invested in the Arctic?
GP Team
Syria: Who wants what?
Harini Madhusudan
Violence in Hong Kong: Will the protests end?
Rashmi Ramesh
Is Catalonia Spain’s Hong Kong?
Sourina Bej
As the Brexit deadline nears: Three Implications of Boris Johnson’s Election Call
D. Suba Chandran
Why an Arctic foray is essential for India
Parikshith Pradeep
Russia's Polar Military Edge
Nidhi Dalal
Protests rock Chile, Bolivia and Haiti
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Will prosecuting Suu Kyi resolve the Rohingya problem?
Sourina Bej
Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi: Multiple Deals, No Takeaways
Lakshman Chakravarthy N & Rashmi Ramesh
Climate Change: Four Actors, No Action
Sukanya Bali
Brexit: Preparing for the Worst Case
Lakshman Chakravarthy N
5G: A Primer
Rashmi Ramesh
From Okjökull to OK: Death of a Glacier in Iceland
Sukanya Bali
Challenges before Boris Johnson
Parikshith Pradeep
The Hong Kong Protests: Who wants what
Harini Madhusudan
The Hong Kong Protests: Re-defining mass mobilization
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
ASEAN Outlook on the Indo Pacific: Worth all the Hype?
Mahesh Bhatta
Monsoons first, Floods next and the Blame Games follow
Titsala Sangtam
Counting Citizens: Manipur charts its own NRC
Vivek Mishra
Can Hedging be India’s Strategy?
Lakshmi V Menon
Amidst the US-Iran standoff, Saudi Arabia should be cautious
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
For Russia, it was big power projection
Harini Madhusudan
For China, it was trade and a temporary truce
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
For Japan, it was commerce and climate change
Sourina Bej
For the US, it was trade, tariff and talks
Mahath Mangal
Iran, US and the Nuclear Deal: Will Russia remain neutral?
Titsala Sangtam
Iran, US and the Nuclear deal: Europe in the middle?
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Modi's Colombo Visit: Four issues to watch
Sourina Bej
From Moscow to Manila: Attack on Journalists, Public Protests and Culture of Impunity
Harini Madhusudan
Thirty years after Tiananmen: What remains in the popular memory and what doesn’t
Raakhavee Ramesh
Higher than the Himalayas: Pakistan and China
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Across the Himalayas: Nepal and China
Mahath Mangal
The Russian Resurgence: Is the US supremacy waning?
Mahath Mangal
San Francisco wants to ban, Kashgar wants to expand
Jerin George
Espionage or Investigative Journalism?
Titsala Sangtam
Beyond the Kuril Island Dispute: Tensions between Moscow and Tokyo
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
The Huawei Controversy: Five things you need to know
Mahath Mangal
Why the world needs to look at Yemen
Sourina Bej
Modi's Foreign Policy 2.0: A Response to C Raja Mohan
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
The Central Asia Connector
Harini Madhusudan
An Under-represented East Asia
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
Africa Embraces the Belt and Road
Sourina Bej
It’s Europe vs EU on China
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Sudan: Between Democracy and another military rule
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
Responses and Inspiring Lessons
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Thailand: Between Elections and Instability
Ryan Mitra
Malaysia, China and the BRI: The Delicate Hedging
Sourina Bej
Two Sessions in 2019: Four Takeaways
Lakshmi V Menon
The End of ISIS Caliphate?
Harini Madhusudan
For China, its a sigh of relief
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
For Vietnam, its a big deal
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
For Japan, No Deal is Good Deal
Sourina Bej
For South Korea, a costly disappointment
Harini Madhusudan
No deal is better, but isn't it bad?
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
The Other Conflict in Rakhine State
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
Yemen: Will Sa'nna fall?
Harini Madhusudan
Sinicizing the Minorities
Lakshmi V Menon
The Qatar Blockade: Eighteen Months Later
Sourina Bej
Maghreb: What makes al Shahab Resilient?
Harini Madhusudan
US-China Trade War: No Clear Winners
Abhishrut Singh
Trump’s Shutdown: Five Things to Know
Kriti
Afghanistan: Why Trump’s decision to withdraw will create more instability
Komal Tiwary
Syria: Why Trump’s decision to withdraw is a right one but at a wrong time
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Myanmar: Will 2019 be better for the Rohingya?
D. Suba Chandran
Bangladesh: The Burden of Electoral History
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
US and China: Between Confrontation and Competition
Mahesh Bhatta | Centre for South Asian Studies, Kathmandu
Nepal
Nasima Khatoon | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS
The Maldives
Harini Madhusudan | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS
India
Sourina Bej | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS
Bangladesh
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS
Afghanistan
Harini Madhusudan
China and Japan: Renewing relations at the right time
Ryan Mitra
The INF Treaty: Towards a new Security Dilemma
Sourina Bej
The INF Treaty: US withdraws to balance China?
Harini Madhusudan
The Khashoggi Killing: Unanswered Questions
Divyabharathi E
The Economic Crisis and the Saudi Investments: What are the Fallouts?
Lakshmi V Menon
US and Israel: Trump's Deal of the Century
Nasima Khatoon
The New Maldives: Advantage India?
Harini Madhusudhan
To NAFTA or Not: Trump, Mexico and Canada
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Malaysia’s China Moment: The Mahathir Gamble
Sourina Bej
BIMSTEC: A Bay of Good Hope?
Ryan Mitra
India between the US and Iran: The Art of Balancing Two States
Hely Desai
Two Years of Brexit: The Reverse-Domino Effect
Young Scholars Debate
India, Imran Khan and Indo-Pak Relations
Siddhatti Mehta
Does Brexit mean Brexit?
Oishee Majumdar
Factsheet: China’s Investments in Africa
Sourina Bej
Post Trump-Putin Summit: How significant is the Russia threat to Europe?
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
The 8888 Uprising: Thirty Years Later
Harini Madhusudhan
The Tariff War: 'Stick of Hegemony' vs Vital Interests
Druta Bhatt
FactSheet: Shangri La Dialogue 2018
Rahul Arockiaraj
Immigrants as the “Other”: The Social and Economic Factors in the US
Divyabharathi E
Is Trump-Putin Summit a setback for the US?
Apoorva Sudhakar
India and Bangladesh: The Long Haul
Divyabharathi E
Quad as an alternative to the BRI: Three Main Challenges
Oishee Majumdar
FactSheet: India-Bangladesh Relations
D. Suba Chandran
Trump meets Putin; will it cost NATO?
Sourina Bej
Trump and the NATO: One Block, Different Views
Rahul Arockiaraj
Zero Tolerance on Illegal Immigration: Explaining Trump’s strategy and the American Spirit
Gayan Gowramma KC
Now, the United States withdraws from the UNHRC
Druta Bhatt
Electoral Rise of the Right: From Trump to Brexit
Siddhatti Mehta
Will China be able to sustain its Dominance?
Miti Shah
Is religion redefining nationalism?: The Case of Myanmar, India and Sri Lanka
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Myanmar: Why won't they do anything for the Rohingya?
Harini Madhusudan
The Idea of an US Space Force: Strategic Calculations
Apoorva Sudhakar
Afghan Peace: Reality or Illusion?
Hely Desai
Looking beyond Trump: Is the US declining?
Manushi Kapadia
Is China using its soft power to become superpower?
Lakshmi. V. Menon
Middle East: Has Russia chosen Israel over Iran?
Divyabharathi E
India and Seychelles: Is the Assumption Deal a Game Changer in the Indian Ocean?
Miti Shah
G7: Why Trump wants Russia in?
Hely Desai
FactSheet: G7 Summit
Siddhatti Mehta
The Panmunjom Declaration: “Tip of the Iceberg”
Druta Bhatt
Iran N-Deal and the Trans-Atlantic Divide
Manushi Kapadia
US and China: Towards a Trade War
Miti Shah
Palestine: US triggers new tensions
Divyabharathi E
The "Indo-Pacific Command": What's in the name?
Harini Madhusudan
Trump’s Tariff Strategy: Targetting Adversaries and Allies
Hely Desai
Trump-Kim Summit: Three Likely Outcomes
Apoorva Sudhakar
The Lebanon Pawn: Will it change after elections?
Lakshmi V Menon
Israel, the Game Changer?
Samreen Wani
Deciphering Turkey's External Push
Divyabharathi E
China and Russia: The New Alignments
Ann Maria Shibu
Can India afford to lose Maldives to China?
Dhruv Ashok
Why Maldives is important to China?
Lakshmi V Menon
ISIS and the Yazidi victims: Why the World should stand up?
Harini Madhusudan
US- China Tariff Face-off : Five questions
Jamyang Dolma
Why is Free Tibet important for India
Divyabharathi E
Arctic: The Strategic Significance
Lakshmi V Menon
Do we need the Quad?
Samreen Wani
Why Trump’s Iran exit is a big mistake?
Jamyang Dolma
Inter Korean Summit: Will it work?
Shalini E
What prevents India and Nepal from moving forward?
Dhruv Ashok
The Fishermen Issue between India and Sri Lanka
Apoorva Sudhakar
Bangladesh's Economy: Decoding a Success Story
Ann Maria Shibu
Why India should not pull out of the Indus water treaty?
Divyabharathi E
Quad and India's Strategic Dilemma
Samreen Wani