https://www.scmp.com/rss/330946/feed Kunal Purohit is an independent journalist, based out of Mumbai. He tracks the intersections between development, social justice, international relations and politics. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The United States will push for stronger military and diplomatic ties with India in high-level talks on Friday, in what analysts say is a chance for New Delhi to seek “reassurance” that Washington’s Indo-Pacific focus remains intact despite growing engagement with China. Amid US involvement in the Gaza and Ukraine conflicts, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin will meet their Indian counterparts Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh for the fifth annual... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3240960/india-seek-reassurance-us-indo-pacific-focus-defence-ties-22-talks-amid-china-outreach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3240960/india-seek-reassurance-us-indo-pacific-focus-defence-ties-22-talks-amid-china-outreach?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Nov 2023 23:30:20 +0000 Calls are growing in India for a nationwide caste census that opposition politicians believe could weaken Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist ambitions by shifting the focus to jobs, economic discrimination and social justice. The calls to count the population of all castes and sub-castes across India gained fresh momentum after Bihar’s local government on October 2 released the findings of a landmark caste survey, which found that more than two-thirds of the eastern state’s 108... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3238697/india-bjps-hindutva-agenda-stake-amid-growing-calls-nationwide-caste-census-very-powerful-weapon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3238697/india-bjps-hindutva-agenda-stake-amid-growing-calls-nationwide-caste-census-very-powerful-weapon?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2023 01:30:15 +0000 China-friendly Mohamed Muizzu’s victory in the Maldives’ recent presidential election has set alarm bells ringing in New Delhi, after he won a majority on the back of a concerted campaign to limit Indian influence in the island state. The Maldives, an archipelago of more than 1,000 islands less than 1,000km off the southwest coast of India, occupies a prime vantage point for surveillance and monitoring of maritime traffic in the Indian Ocean – making a change of government in capital Male a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3237378/india-out-maldives-china-friendly-leader-mohamed-muizzu-takes-charge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3237378/india-out-maldives-china-friendly-leader-mohamed-muizzu-takes-charge?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Oct 2023 02:19:11 +0000 As the border stand-off between China and India continues to test diplomatic efforts, a new front of tension is bubbling up: water resources. New Delhi is reviving 12 hydropower projects along the border while a Chinese “super dam” is under construction on Tibet’s Yarlung Tsangpo, or Zangbo, river, the upper stream of the trans-boundary Brahmaputra that exits the higher Himalayan region via great gorges to reach northeastern India and Bangladesh. India’s new dams will cost US$15.3 billion and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3233141/china-india-border-dispute-spills-over-water-resources-difficult-agree?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3233141/china-india-border-dispute-spills-over-water-resources-difficult-agree?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Sep 2023 01:30:13 +0000 French President Emmanuel Macron made a brief but historic stopover in Sri Lanka last month, in a show of France’s desire to offer an “alternative” to the big-power tussle between China, India and the West for influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Macron’s visit comes as France and Sri Lanka mark 75 years of relations, and as both countries aim to boost cooperation in areas such as development aid, maritime security and trade. Analysts say their growing friendship is driven by mutual interests,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3232364/france-offers-third-way-sri-lanka-balances-china-india-ties-it-late-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3232364/france-offers-third-way-sri-lanka-balances-china-india-ties-it-late-party?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Aug 2023 03:30:21 +0000 Sectarian violence exploded in Haryana this month as Hindu nationalists clashed with local Muslims on the streets of the state that encircles India’s capital on three sides. In Nuh district, a mere 90-minute drive from the nation’s parliament, cars were set ablaze, shops were ransacked and the crackle of gunfire filled the air. By Sunday last week, six people had been killed – right on New Delhi’s doorstep. On the other side of the world, a group of 20-somethings scattered across North America... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3230868/indias-hindu-muslim-hate-crimes-are-being-tracked-self-exiles-modi-supporters-wants-silenced?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3230868/indias-hindu-muslim-hate-crimes-are-being-tracked-self-exiles-modi-supporters-wants-silenced?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Aug 2023 06:00:21 +0000 Within months, both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are likely to be in the same room again. But whether the two leaders will hold bilateral talks and seek to mend their countries’ deeply strained ties remains to be seen. Doubtful Indian foreign-policy observers cite New Delhi’s last-minute decision to make this month’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit virtual, eliminating the chance for a Modi-Xi meeting on the sidelines. Both leaders are set... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3227684/india-china-relations-modi-xi-look-set-meet-will-frosty-ties-thaw-brics-g20-summits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3227684/india-china-relations-modi-xi-look-set-meet-will-frosty-ties-thaw-brics-g20-summits?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jul 2023 01:30:16 +0000 Nepal’s former king Gyanendra Shah made a rare public appearance earlier this year in the Himalayan nation’s Jhapa district to launch a movement to change the country’s secular constitution and reinstate its identity as a Hindu kingdom. Thousands of Nepalis gathered at the February event to back the cause, with several marches occurring across the country since. Last month, just days before Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, more popularly known as Prachanda, flew to New Delhi, key... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3224439/calls-grow-nepal-ditch-secularism-indias-ruling-bjp-pushes-its-hindu-nationalist-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3224439/calls-grow-nepal-ditch-secularism-indias-ruling-bjp-pushes-its-hindu-nationalist-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jun 2023 01:30:14 +0000 From an ambitious new defence cooperation plan to the co-production of military hardware and potential big-ticket arms deals for fighter jet technology, the United States and India are stepping up their military ties. US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin’s two-day visit to New Delhi this week saw the two governments concluding a defence “road map” that could mean faster approvals for Delhi as it tries to acquire hi-tech weaponry from Washington while opening up the possibility of the joint... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3223579/india-us-boost-defence-ties-russia-china-mind-things-are-changing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3223579/india-us-boost-defence-ties-russia-china-mind-things-are-changing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jun 2023 01:30:19 +0000 India and Nepal signed a series of trade deals last week, but that may not be enough to smooth bilateral ties amid a border dispute and growing anti-India sentiment within the landlocked Himalayan country, analysts have said. The South Asian neighbours sealed a number of projects – built with Indian aid – during Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kumar Dahal’s meeting with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, including a 17.4km cross-border railway line connecting Kurthal and Bijalpura. New Delhi... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3223273/will-nepal-pms-historic-india-trip-new-trade-deals-be-enough-mend-strained-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3223273/will-nepal-pms-historic-india-trip-new-trade-deals-be-enough-mend-strained-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jun 2023 11:30:19 +0000 Ankita Pandey, 28, had been on a maternity break for over 18 months, and was itching to get back to work. Her career had suffered after her company shut just after the pandemic began. For weeks, Pandey sent in applications and uploaded her resume to online job portals, but had little luck. When she finally received a message in March, it felt like her prayers had been answered. It was a work-from-home opportunity, just like she wanted. All she had to do was invest money and get close to 30 per... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3221985/india-goes-digital-unsuspecting-victims-lose-life-savings-social-media-scams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3221985/india-goes-digital-unsuspecting-victims-lose-life-savings-social-media-scams?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 May 2023 06:00:15 +0000 A “summer of discontent” could be brewing along India’s border with China, analysts have warned, with disagreements between the neighbours and growing geopolitical rivalry in the region fuelling a possible escalation in military activity. Since deadly clashes broke out in 2020 along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), attempts by New Delhi and Beijing to defuse the tensions have floundered. While some troops were withdrawn from a few points along the roughly 3,500km-long border, negotiations to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3221140/india-china-disconnect-could-fuel-summer-discontent-along-disputed-border?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3221140/india-china-disconnect-could-fuel-summer-discontent-along-disputed-border?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 May 2023 01:30:11 +0000 As India seeks to cut its reliance on China, a new report has raised questions about the feasibility of economic decoupling as Chinese goods were found to not only be critical across various sectors, but in some cases “preferred” by Indian manufacturers. The study by the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), a state-backed university in New Delhi, found that Chinese imports were boosting India’s manufacturing and its exports in key sectors, including inorganic chemicals, pharmaceuticals,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3216717/indias-bid-self-reliance-takes-hit-chinese-goods-found-be-critical-across-industries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3216717/indias-bid-self-reliance-takes-hit-chinese-goods-found-be-critical-across-industries?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Apr 2023 01:30:15 +0000 The political reshuffling in Nepal is likely to benefit the United States and India but could deal a blow to China’s hopes of boosting its diplomatic sway in the Himalayan nation, analysts have said. The realignment of parties in Nepal’s ruling alliance saw the bloc led by former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, known for his aggressive rhetoric against New Delhi and proximity to Beijing, losing his position of power. Instead, former leader Sher Bahadur Deuba’s Nepali Congress (NC), known to pursue... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3214685/will-us-india-benefit-nepals-latest-political-shifts-chinas-expense?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3214685/will-us-india-benefit-nepals-latest-political-shifts-chinas-expense?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Mar 2023 05:10:56 +0000 Europe could intervene should war break out in the Taiwan Strait, but Southeast Asia “would prefer not to get involved at all”, analysts at a political forum in India have said. Rising tensions between mainland China and self-ruled Taiwan, and a possible escalation into war, were in focus at the Raisina Dialogue on Saturday, the last of a three-day foreign policy forum organised by the Indian government with the New Delhi-based think tank Observer Research Foundation. Tensions have continued to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3212413/indias-raisina-dialogue-concludes-under-shadow-taiwan-strait-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3212413/indias-raisina-dialogue-concludes-under-shadow-taiwan-strait-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Mar 2023 07:01:06 +0000 The United States’ top diplomat Antony Blinken reiterated his country’s commitment to the Quad grouping, calling it a “critical vehicle” for engaging Asian nations amid concerns Washington may be distracted by the war in Ukraine. The US Secretary of State’s latest remarks at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi reflected a continuing regional charm offensive by Washington to assure smaller countries in its diplomatic ambit that it remained focused on balancing China’s assertiveness despite its... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3212291/antony-blinken-says-us-not-distracted-ukraine-war-quad-offers-choice-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3212291/antony-blinken-says-us-not-distracted-ukraine-war-quad-offers-choice-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Mar 2023 11:40:12 +0000 China’s new foreign minister Qin Gang on Thursday held his first face-to-face talks with Indian counterpart S Jaishankar on the sidelines of a G20 summit, where deepening rifts among the world’s biggest economies over the Ukraine-Russia war were on display. The 45-minute engagement between the two senior diplomats come as India and China continue to be locked in a border stand-off, a row that remains unresolved since June 2020 despite multiple discussions. Jaishankar said the border dispute... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3212135/chinese-indian-foreign-ministers-hold-bilateral-talks-g20-meeting-ends-disarray?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3212135/chinese-indian-foreign-ministers-hold-bilateral-talks-g20-meeting-ends-disarray?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Mar 2023 13:23:48 +0000 The roof of the world is heating up, with the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan becoming the site of fresh contestation between its two neighbours, China and India. Two weeks ago, China and Bhutan held a fresh round of talks in China’s Kunming city towards resolving their decades-old border dispute. The outcome took many by surprise: a joint statement insisting that a “positive consensus” had been reached by both, and that they would both be “increasing the frequency” of their talks. The talks even... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3207973/neighbourhood-watch-indias-alarm-spikes-china-bhutan-move-closer-resolving-border-feud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3207973/neighbourhood-watch-indias-alarm-spikes-china-bhutan-move-closer-resolving-border-feud?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jan 2023 10:19:28 +0000 Amid clashes between soldiers from China and India along the countries’ unmarked land border, their navies have been locked in an influence operation in the Indian Ocean. Over the last few weeks, Beijing has not only sent naval surveillance ships to the region, but even held its first-ever meeting of Indian Ocean countries – both moves widely seen as attempts to expand its influence and corner India. New Delhi, for its part, has launched a series of countermeasures and strengthened its... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3206739/china-and-india-navies-vie-influence-indian-ocean-amid-border-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3206739/china-and-india-navies-vie-influence-indian-ocean-amid-border-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Jan 2023 04:00:12 +0000 The rise of a veteran Maoist leader to become Nepal’s new prime minister is likely to inject “more momentum” into the country’s China ties while also checking American influence in the region, analysts said, after communist parties came together on Sunday to oust the previous US-aligned government. Pushpa Kamal Dahal, more popularly known as Prachanda – meaning fearless – ditched his alliance partner the Nepali Congress (NC) to install a communist-led government in Kathmandu with rival KP Sharma... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3204722/nepal-china-ties-get-happy-boost-new-leftist-pm-india-and-us-wary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3204722/nepal-china-ties-get-happy-boost-new-leftist-pm-india-and-us-wary?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Dec 2022 04:00:17 +0000 Because of their love for the beautiful game, Fatima Shaikh, 18, and Kulsum Shaikh, 19, (no relation) have had to endure the ugly side of humanity. The pair from Mumbra, a Muslim community outside India’s Mumbai city, have encountered all manners of sexism and misogyny, including being told by male football coaches to “not play like girls”, or being assaulted and threatened by their families if they stepped on the pitch. One time, Fatima’s brother repeatedly struck her with a frying pan. Kulsum... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3203547/love-game-indian-women-defy-sexism-abuse-chase-football-dream?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3203547/love-game-indian-women-defy-sexism-abuse-chase-football-dream?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Dec 2022 08:00:14 +0000 For over two years now, two of the most powerful armies in the world have been locked in a stand-off in the Himalayan region of Ladakh. But now, the China-India border row might have another key friction point thousands of kilometres away – the Indian Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh, administered by India but claimed by China as its own. The region has been historically disputed by both parties – lying in India’s northeast, China has laid its claim over the entire region for decades now and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3203629/china-india-often-clash-himalayan-border-region-are-those-clashes-getting-worse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3203629/china-india-often-clash-himalayan-border-region-are-those-clashes-getting-worse?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Dec 2022 12:15:14 +0000 The landlocked Himalayan nation of Nepal heads to the polls on Sunday in a closely watched general election that analysts say will determine how Kathmandu handles ties with the United States, China and India. More than 17.9 million voters in the geopolitically sensitive South Asian country – sandwiched between China and India – will elect a new government and prime minister through the 165 seats in Nepal’s parliament and the 550 seats in its provincial assembly that are being contested. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3200118/nepal-election-could-be-turning-point-delicate-balance-us-china-india-geopolitical-interests-region?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3200118/nepal-election-could-be-turning-point-delicate-balance-us-china-india-geopolitical-interests-region?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Nov 2022 01:30:12 +0000 New Delhi and Taipei are drawing closer economically, strengthening business ties at a time of heightened cross-strait tensions and with an unresolved military stand-off at the disputed India-China border that’s heading towards its third year. India hopes enhanced cooperation with Taiwan’s semiconductor giants will further its goal of building up its domestic chip-making industry, while Taipei is looking to reduce its reliance on the mainland Chinese market by securing greater access to India... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3199333/india-taiwan-relations-delhi-wants-chips-taipei-needs-friends-what-about-one-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3199333/india-taiwan-relations-delhi-wants-chips-taipei-needs-friends-what-about-one-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Nov 2022 06:00:14 +0000 A highly-anticipated free-trade agreement between India and Britain appears to have floundered at the last minute as Liz Truss’ government gets tough on immigration, but observers say the “common threat perception” of China means both sides have a reason to cling on to the pact. Questions have also swirled over the deal’s priority, given that Truss’ governing Conservative Party now seems intent on replacing her – just a month after she was elected party leader. An unprecedented 80 per cent of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3196505/india-and-uks-common-threat-perception-china-could-keep-delayed-trade-deal-track?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3196505/india-and-uks-common-threat-perception-china-could-keep-delayed-trade-deal-track?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Oct 2022 00:30:12 +0000 A string of controversial events involving Indian communities around the world, from violence to sectarian politics, have recently thrown into sharp relief the existence of strong and active global networks of Hindu nationalists. Such controversies are likely to become more frequent and bring violent repercussions, analysts warn, as Hindu nationalists grow stronger and bolder across continents, secure in their backing by India’s powerful Hindu nationalist – also known as Hindutva – ecosystem and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3195976/uk-mob-violence-exposes-deep-disturbing-reach-indias-hindutva?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3195976/uk-mob-violence-exposes-deep-disturbing-reach-indias-hindutva?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Oct 2022 08:00:15 +0000 Washington’s plans to further contain China by expanding the United States military’s presence in Asia were dealt a major blow by Nepal’s recent decision not to join an US-run security initiative, analysts said. After weeks of swirling rumours, Kathmandu late last month announced its intent to walk away from the State Partnership Programme. The SPP, which the US embassy in Nepal was at pains to emphasise “is not and has not ever been a security or military alliance”, would have allowed... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3185304/did-nepals-china-india-balancing-act-cause-it-ditch-us-run-spp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3185304/did-nepals-china-india-balancing-act-cause-it-ditch-us-run-spp?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Jul 2022 11:30:32 +0000 Even as the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Germany made headlines, some curious commentary in India pointed to a lesser-publicised, brief stopover in Abu Dhabi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his way home on Tuesday. There, he called on United Arab Emirates (UAE) president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with the two meeting at the airport. In New Delhi, many believed that this brief conversation, lasting just over an hour, “trumped” the two-day G7 summit in terms of its significance for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3183717/india-pm-narendra-modis-meeting-uae-president-sheikh-mohammed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3183717/india-pm-narendra-modis-meeting-uae-president-sheikh-mohammed?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jul 2022 00:30:20 +0000 Asia has been slammed by a wave of protectionism in recent months, with countries enacting food export restrictions on items from palm oil to wheat, sugar and chicken. The disruptions have sent already inflated food prices soaring, with Singapore’s food price increase in April hitting levels not seen since March 2009 and Malaysians saying the once affordable everyday chicken is now a weekly luxury. Countries with export controls say the restrictions have been necessary to safeguard supplies for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3180331/malaysia-india-how-are-export-bans-chicken-wheat-sugar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3180331/malaysia-india-how-are-export-bans-chicken-wheat-sugar?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jun 2022 00:30:29 +0000 Even as talks to resolve it continue to flounder, the border stand-off between China and India may have a new friction point – another Chinese bridge across the disputed Pangong Tso lake in the Himalayas, just weeks after an initial one was built, and appearing right next to it. Both structures are in an area India lays claim to and cut across the high-altitude lagoon, connecting its northern and southern banks. Reports in the Indian media have estimated the bridges to be about 450 metres long... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3179136/china-india-border-why-another-chinese-bridge-may-be-latest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3179136/china-india-border-why-another-chinese-bridge-may-be-latest?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 May 2022 11:30:29 +0000 Two years after a string of skirmishes sparked a deadly military stand-off between two of the largest armies in the world, the lines between China and India are hardening. The stand-off remains unresolved, with Chinese and Indian soldiers still locked in a confrontation, just metres away from each other, at friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Indian Himalayan region of Ladakh. Beyond the border, new friction points are emerging. Last week, the Chinese nationalist... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3177217/china-india-relations-what-progress-has-been-made-unresolved-2?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3177217/china-india-relations-what-progress-has-been-made-unresolved-2?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 May 2022 11:26:38 +0000 “How do you deal with China?” The question makes former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott laugh. “How do you deal with something as strong, as dangerous … well, you deal with China with great care,” Abbott says. That moment epitomised this year’s Raisina Dialogue, the annual conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, hosted by India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the Observer Research Foundation think tank in New Delhi. Abbott’s comment occurred just minutes into a panel discussion on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3176017/ukraine-war-dominates-indias-raisina-dialogue-china-far?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3176017/ukraine-war-dominates-indias-raisina-dialogue-china-far?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Apr 2022 09:57:23 +0000 Britain’s chief of defence staff has warned China it could face “all kinds of consequences” if it “transgresses international rules” in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Admiral Tony Radakin made the remarks on Tuesday evening at a conference in India, where a senior South Korean general also revealed that the country’s new President-elect Yoon Suk-Yeoul was considering joining the US-led Aukus alliance and Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. “What China needs to … observe is, when you... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3175644/britains-defence-chief-warns-china-not-transgress-rules-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3175644/britains-defence-chief-warns-china-not-transgress-rules-south?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Apr 2022 05:02:09 +0000 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Friday signalled ties between the two nations were on an even keel, a sharp contrast to recent friction over New Delhi’s insistence on buying Russian oil imports. Analysts said the overall convivial tone of talks between the prime ministers in New Delhi, and the announcement of a “new and expanded” defence and security partnership, suggested the two major powers were setting aside differences – on Russia in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3175247/india-and-britain-bulk-trade-and-defence-ties-amid-converging?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3175247/india-and-britain-bulk-trade-and-defence-ties-amid-converging?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Apr 2022 13:42:25 +0000 Days after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited India as part of his whistle-stop tour across South Asia, his day-long trip has left many in New Delhi scratching their heads, with observers divided over its purpose and outcome. Wang’s trip was the first high-level bilateral visit between the two countries since December 2019. With relations souring since a deadly clash along their shared Himalayan border in June 2020 – the worst military conflict between the two in decades – there were hopes... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3172172/china-india-relations-wang-yis-brief-visit-puzzles-observers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3172172/china-india-relations-wang-yis-brief-visit-puzzles-observers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Mar 2022 15:57:49 +0000 When 32-year-old Dhruv Agarwal called his family on November 9 last year, he looked exultant and excited. He had finally reached the enchanting Parvati Valley in northern India after an overnight bus ride from New Delhi and wanted his family to see what he was witnessing – the emerald Parvati running through the valley surrounded by the snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas. “He was just panning the phone from one side to another,” recalled Agarwal’s sister, Manica, “excited to show us the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3171847/parvati-valley-indias-bermuda-triangle-backpackers-disappearance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3171847/parvati-valley-indias-bermuda-triangle-backpackers-disappearance?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Mar 2022 02:00:22 +0000 Border tensions between China and India have cast a shadow over Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Delhi, with India saying ties cannot be normalised until their Himalayan stand-off is resolved. But both sides have agreed on the need for a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine. Wang’s trip is the first to the Indian capital by a high-ranking Chinese official since the border tensions erupted into violence in mid-2020, leaving 20 Indian soldiers dead. China said four of its soldiers died... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3171876/china-india-border-dispute-new-delhi-presses-complete-troop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3171876/china-india-border-dispute-new-delhi-presses-complete-troop?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Mar 2022 10:30:15 +0000 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit India this week, the highest-level visit by Beijing since a deadly clash along their disputed Himalayan border almost two years ago. Observers said in addition to the border dispute, the ongoing Ukraine crisis – which has seen the two nations taking a similar position on Russia – would be on the agenda. Sources in India said Wang’s visit would come over the next two days. Bloomberg, citing a person familiar with the matter, said Wang was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3171563/china-india-border-chinese-foreign-minister-expected-visit-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3171563/china-india-border-chinese-foreign-minister-expected-visit-new?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Mar 2022 10:22:58 +0000 Growing ties between China and Pakistan have come under scrutiny in India after former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in Parliament last week called their close ties “a serious threat” to the country. His accusation that the Narendra Modi government’s policies had brought two of India’s nuclear-armed neighbours closer together triggered a political storm in New Delhi, which has rejected his allegations. But just days after the statement, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan wrapped up a four-day... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/explained/article/3166743/have-indias-actions-fuelled-closer-china-pakistan-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/explained/article/3166743/have-indias-actions-fuelled-closer-china-pakistan-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Feb 2022 12:15:20 +0000 Trouble has returned to India’s remote northeast, a region that has long had a testy relationship with New Delhi. The area spans seven states, including four that share a border with Myanmar and one with China. More than 200 ethnic groups and tribes live across the resource-rich region, where several insurgents and separatist movements operate. Many of these separatist groups claim the Indian government has done little to help their communities since independence, but exploits them of their... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/explained/article/3164208/why-india-worried-about-china-and-myanmar-conflict-flares-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/explained/article/3164208/why-india-worried-about-china-and-myanmar-conflict-flares-its?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Jan 2022 12:00:23 +0000 Even as India grapples with a third wave of Covid-19 infections fuelled by the Omicron variant, with every fourth person testing positive in recent days, its election juggernaut has not stopped. Political parties have held massive rallies bringing together tens of thousands of mostly unmasked people ahead of local elections in five regions, including the most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, that begin on February 10. India’s health ministry on Wednesday said the state’s case count had risen to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3163303/omicron-wont-slow-modis-election-juggernaut-indias-strongman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3163303/omicron-wont-slow-modis-election-juggernaut-indias-strongman?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jan 2022 04:00:13 +0000 The Philippines has placed a US$375 million order with India for supersonic cruise missiles jointly developed with Russia, boosting Manila’s naval capabilities in the face of growing Chinese assertiveness in the region. The deal is also seen as a breakthrough for Delhi, as it works to export arms to regional partners, while reducing its dependence on arms imports. “A large part of the world cannot afford Western defence technology,” said Rajeev Bhatia, former Indian Ambassador and Distinguished... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3163456/india-philippines-brahmos-missile-order-win-lac-border-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3163456/india-philippines-brahmos-missile-order-win-lac-border-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jan 2022 11:31:49 +0000 Weeks after a summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin yielded 28 agreements including military deals, Russia and India have exchanged a white paper on ways to step up their defence cooperation in Central Asia. The document includes recommendations on how both countries can jointly manufacture defence equipment in the former Soviet states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and conduct bilateral counterterrorism and military drills,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3161295/india-russia-ties-see-revival-china-afghanistan-and-central-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3161295/india-russia-ties-see-revival-china-afghanistan-and-central-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Dec 2021 15:00:11 +0000 Both China and India say they want to resolve their military stand-off in the Himalayas. But 19 months after the first showdown, are Beijing and New Delhi digging in for what appears to be a permanent border confrontation? This is the question analysts are asking amid a deadlock in military-level talks after the 13th round of talks in October ended in a bitter blame game. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned against “mutual exhaustion” with neighbouring India in a virtual meeting with New... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3160099/china-india-border-dispute-crisis-drags-are-beijing-and-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3160099/china-india-border-dispute-crisis-drags-are-beijing-and-new?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Dec 2021 02:30:21 +0000 Days after finance ministers of the G20 nations agreed to push for smoother trade flows by not letting countries erect unnecessary trade barriers, India is already taking its first steps. New Delhi is setting up a series of free-trade deals in a new-found momentum that comes nearly two years after it exited negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which involves 15 economies including Australia, Japan and Asean nations. Rather than join multilateral agreements... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3153356/australia-uk-india-seeks-new-ftas-growth-jobs-and-china-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3153356/australia-uk-india-seeks-new-ftas-growth-jobs-and-china-its?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Oct 2021 04:30:27 +0000 Days after the leaders of the Quad alliance agreed at a recent summit to form a supply chain initiative aimed at countering Chinese chip-making, India is taking steps to become the next semiconductor manufacturing hub. Semiconductors, also known as chips, power everything from smartphones to computers, advanced medical equipment and modern cars, making them one of the most important components of electronic devices. New Delhi is reportedly in talks with Taipei for a US$7.5 billion deal to get... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3151284/india-courts-chip-makers-taiwan-and-quad-its-side-it-takes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3151284/india-courts-chip-makers-taiwan-and-quad-its-side-it-takes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Oct 2021 04:00:13 +0000 Just days after US President Joe Biden hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House and said the two countries were “destined to be stronger, closer and tighter”, what might be the first signs of that new relationship have come into view. In the first such signal to New Delhi, visiting US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman indicated on Thursday that Washington might reconsider slapping sanctions on the Indian government when New Delhi takes delivery of five Russian-built... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3151570/eye-china-us-thinks-twice-about-sanctioning-india-russian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3151570/eye-china-us-thinks-twice-about-sanctioning-india-russian?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Oct 2021 15:33:21 +0000 Ahead of a virtual leaders meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Thursday, Russia and India appear poised to set aside their differences on Afghanistan and cooperate to safeguard the region’s stability and security. The potential realignment of alliances involving two of the security grouping’s members comes as Beijing is expected to push for a consensus at the summit on dealing with the Taliban, so it can urge the international community to ease sanctions on the Islamist... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3148890/india-and-russia-find-common-ground-afghanistan-china-watches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3148890/india-and-russia-find-common-ground-afghanistan-china-watches?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Sep 2021 15:00:16 +0000 As New Delhi anxiously looks on at a new Taliban regime in Afghanistan, early signs are emerging that its worries are set to multiply, especially in the troubled Jammu & Kashmir region. On Thursday, the Taliban said it had “the right to raise our voice for Muslims in Kashmir, India and any other country”. While spokesman Suhail Shaheen added that it was not the group’s policy to “raise arms” against any other country, such a statement is bound to concern India. It came just days after al-Qaeda... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3147535/india-faces-fresh-kashmir-concerns-after-taliban-takeover?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3147535/india-faces-fresh-kashmir-concerns-after-taliban-takeover?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Sep 2021 13:00:30 +0000 As the Indian government grapples with the question of how to approach the Taliban regime newly installed in Afghanistan, the situation in Kabul could also reshape India’s ties with the US and lead to a more subdued approach to its border conflict with China. The Taliban’s return to power as the US withdrew its troops has erased India’s presence in Afghanistan: its consulates and embassies have shut, its diplomats were evacuated and the future of its investments worth more than US$3 billion is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3146200/india-watches-afghanistan-nervously-upheaval-could-reshape-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3146200/india-watches-afghanistan-nervously-upheaval-could-reshape-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Aug 2021 14:30:07 +0000