The Oxford Handbook of Indian Foreign Policy
The Oxford Handbook of Indian Foreign Policy is a comprehensive book with 50 essays about India’s foreign relations since the British Raj. Both the authors and editors of this book are prominent and leading experts in India’s international relations.
Kim Jong Un of North Korea: 10 Years in Power
15th April 2022 marked an auspicious day in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In 2012, Kim Jong Un became the head of state (also known as the “Supreme Leader” i.e. the head of the Workers Party, the state, and the military) after the passing of his father, Kim Jong-il. In this article, Alsa Nishat Ahmad analyzes the current Supreme Leader’s eventful 10-year regime.
Pakistan Exports its First SUV!
Pakistan has recently exported its locally produced model of the Changan Oshan X7, driving the local auto industry and export growth of the country.
China’s BRI vs the US’s FOIP: Foreign Policy Opportunities and Challenges for Malaysia
Contemporary publications identify Indo-Pacific as a hub of great power politics. The great powers, China and the US, are striving their best to enhance their sphere of influence across the region through BRI and FOIP respectively. These two strategies bring some opportunities along with certain challenges for ASEAN member states. In this research paper, the structural realism lens is used to analyze the foreign policy situation of Malaysia under these circumstances.
Communism: The Constructed ‘Red Scare’
Communism is a political ideology that started gaining momentum in the 1920s. It was a champion for the East and had started to encroach on the West as it started to become popular amongst the lower class. To deal with such a broad and intangible threat, the Western powers (mainly America) built a negative and dangerous aura around it and used it to garner public support for themselves. This narrative building was done through securitization of the term and can be visualized in the public speeches of American Presidents of the Cold War era.
President Xi Jinping of China: The Pandemic, Growing Military Power & the Chinese Dream
With the removal of the limit on the term of the Chinese presidency in 2018, President Xi Jinping has consolidated more power. The reform has allowed him to remain in power for as long as he likes unlike the old traditions of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). President Xi Jinping of China is highly praised by the CCP for his visionary economic, social, and foreign policy. The CCP has given him a status equivalent to that of revolutionary personalities like Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. Asra Zahid notes that from effectively countering the COVID-19 pandemic, and strengthening China’s economic and military power to reviving the “Chinese Dream,” China has come a long way under the visionary leadership of President Xi Jinping.
Destabilizing QUAD: One Member at a Time
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), an alliance between the US, India, Australia, and Japan, reemerged in the international arena in 2017 as an effort to keep China in check in the Indo-Pacific region. The common interest of countering China bounds these states together but according to the author, Dr. Kankana Debnath, the visit of the Russian and Chinese foreign ministers to New Delhi has threatened the internal dynamics of QUAD.
The Space Race in the 21st Century
Space was an important front for war in the last century and will be just as significant in this century. Space became a zone of conflict during the Space Race in the Cold War. In present times, the space market has grown complex and diverse, with the private and commercial sectors participating more in this realm. The author, Iqra Mumtaz, believes that space hegemony will play an important role in terms of future military and political influence.
The Financial Crisis in Sri Lanka
Thousands of people are out on the streets protesting against the current government’s mishandling of the economic crisis. The author, Rabia Rasool, discusses the reasons behind the current economic quakes in Sri Lanka.
India and the US: A History of Strained Relations
Ever since it gained independence in 1947, the Republic of India has had strained ties with the United States, a trend that continues today. Despite instances of co-operation on issues like international counter-terrorism, trade, and economic development, the two largest democracies in the world have often diverged on questions of strategic importance, a divergence that has been exacerbated and brought into the spotlight by the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is now continuing into its second month.
The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05: Unfolding World War Zero
Almost everybody nowadays is familiar with World War I and World War II, but many people are not aware that there was a World War Zero, or the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. Fought between Russia and Japan, this war is considered one of the most devastating ever.
The 48th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Pakistan
The delegations of over 50 member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation congregated in Islamabad on the 22nd of March for the 48th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers. The two-day meeting resulted in the adoption of the Islamabad Declaration; a historic set of resolutions detailing the policies and attitudes of the Muslim world regarding Palestine, Kashmir, and other world crises. The conference was titled and themed “Partnering for Unity, Justice, and Development.”
The Pakistan-Russia-China Bloc: A Consequence of US Actions?
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has stirred up bloc politics once again, pitting the West against the Russia-China bloc. Pakistan’s current government is clearly leaning towards the idea of a Pakistan-Russia-China bloc, but that foreign policy truly rests on the domestic political situation of the country. Amid the political uncertainty. the author, Mr Sarmad Ishfaq, illustrates how future policies pivot on the results of the no-confidence vote.
The China-India Rivalry in Maldives Explained
The strategic location of the Maldives, particularly its proximity to the straits of Malacca and Hormuz and the Gulf of Aden, has drawn the attention of India and China. While China and India are competing with each other to exert their influence on the Maldives, the island state is fully benefitting from its cordial relations with the rival states. Though the China-India competition has serious implications for the stability of South Asia, the author, Zahra Michelle Khan, argues that the Maldives also presents opportunities for cooperation between the two states.
The Iran-China Deal of 2021: 25 Years of Cooperation in Energy, Infrastructure, & Telecom
The increasing cooperation between China and Iran is seen as a threat by the United States, and by Iran’s rival oil exporters. The Iran-China deal (signed in March 2021) will further consolidate these relations and ensure China’s involvement in the region for the next 25 years. The author, Rooha Javed, notes that as a part of this deal, China will invest in Iran’s infrastructure development, oil and petrochemical industry, and telecommunications. She asserts that the Iran-China partnership can already be seen in China’s inclination towards reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and its current infrastructure projects in Iran.
Understanding the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has left the world quaking. President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine are presently resisting the assault of the Russian forces on their sovereign state. The authors, Alyan Waheed and Muskan Moazzam, discuss the events that set the scene for the current war.
Pakistan’s Foreign Policy: A Reappraisal by Shahid Amin
The book “Pakistan’s Foreign Policy: A Reappraisal” by Shahid Amin provides a comprehensive analysis of the state’s foreign policy throughout the years while keeping in mind the relations between Pakistan and India. The book explains, in great detail, how the perception of an “Indian threat” has influenced Pakistan’s decision-making. Apart from the India-Pakistan relations, Mr. Shahid Amin also elaborates on Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan after the 1979 Soviet invasion, and its relations with the Muslim countries and China.