https://www.scmp.com/rss/523134/feed The latest news and top stories on Amit Ranjan, a Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore. He previously served at the Indian Council of World Affairs. Dr Ranjan is a scholar with expertise in China-India relations, South Asian politics, and transboundary water disputes. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Maria Siow Maria Siow India’s agreement to review Dhaka’s request for Sheikh Hasina’s extradition could hint at more flexibility over a deeply political issue, but observers warn that does not mean New Delhi is ready to hand the former Bangladesh ruler over just yet. The ex-prime minister fled to India in August 2024 after her regime fell to protesters. India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed on April 17 it was conducting a formal review of Dhaka’s extradition request. The announcement – a significant shift... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351243/india-opens-door-sheikh-hasina-extradition-talks-delhi-dhaka-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351243/india-opens-door-sheikh-hasina-extradition-talks-delhi-dhaka-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 03:46:34 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen India earlier this month inaugurated a high-altitude airbase near its disputed border with China, prompting analysts to suggest that the development capped long-term efforts to upgrade infrastructure there rather than posing a threat to Beijing. According to reports from multiple media outlets, the Mudh-Nyoma Air Force Station is perched at a height of about 13,700 feet (4,176 metres) and is only 30km (19 miles) from the Line of Actual Control, the de facto boundary separating India and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333815/indias-new-airbase-china-border-infrastructure-upgrade-not-threat-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333815/indias-new-airbase-china-border-infrastructure-upgrade-not-threat-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2025 04:00:11 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow The United States is likely to seriously consider Pakistan’s proposal for a new port in the Arabian Sea and use it to ship the South Asian country’s rare minerals, even as observers warn of commercial and geopolitical risks of investing in a volatile region. Advisers to Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have approached US officials regarding the proposal for American investors to build and run the port in Pakistan, according to a Financial Times report last week. Located in Gwadar... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328622/will-plan-port-pakistan-us-involvement-fuel-regional-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328622/will-plan-port-pakistan-us-involvement-fuel-regional-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 09:00:08 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen China is closely monitoring social unrest in Nepal, a strategic partner and key point in Beijing’s global infrastructure and investment initiative, following the resignation of prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli. Observers warned that Beijing should be prepared for further instability in the region, citing weak governance and potential external influence in political transitions. The unrest was initially triggered by a social media ban last week, and soon grew into a wider anti-corruption movement... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325088/beijing-weighs-risks-social-unrest-rocks-strategic-partner-nepal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325088/beijing-weighs-risks-social-unrest-rocks-strategic-partner-nepal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:44:15 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen The meeting in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao last month was the first time that cabinet ministers from Pakistan and India had been in the same room since a deadly conflict in early May. The defence ministers from the two neighbours were in China under the umbrella of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a regional political, security and economic group. This week it was the turn of SCO foreign ministers, who met in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin. It, too, was a rare... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318723/can-china-backed-sco-convince-india-and-pakistan-resolve-their-differences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318723/can-china-backed-sco-convince-india-and-pakistan-resolve-their-differences?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 13:00:10 +0000 Kawala Xie Kawala Xie Last month’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence meeting served not only as a curtain-raiser for the bloc’s summit in the autumn, but also as a test of Beijing’s broader ambition to promote a Global South-empowered multipolar world order. Like Brics – the grouping of developing countries established by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – the Global South-oriented SCO is a showcase for China’s home-ground diplomacy. Beijing has increasingly relied on these platforms to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3317031/can-india-block-chinas-leadership-global-south-based-alliances-sco?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3317031/can-india-block-chinas-leadership-global-south-based-alliances-sco?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jul 2025 22:00:12 +0000