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India and Japan: Driving Force for a Post-Pandemic Multipolar Asia
Analysis, Asia, Featured, World

India and Japan: Driving Force for a Post-Pandemic Multipolar Asia

India and Japan have a longstanding history of strong bilateral ties and have recently reaffirmed and reiterated time and again their commitment to their Special Strategic and Global Partnership. The post-COVID-19 pandemic era is producing a new world order and has already accelerated China's growing supremacy in the region. East Asia has witnessed an increase in economic retaliation policies, largely driven by geopolitical reasons.More bilateral exchanges, safeguards, sustainable power sources, network safety, framework, and new companies will help India and Japan in the Indian Sea and Indo-Pacific region. “Not be a surprise if, in another decade, Japan-India relations overtake Japan-US and Japan-China ties.”Shinzo Abe (Towards a Beautiful Country: My Vision for Japan) ...
Japan’s Indo-Pacific Strategy – Scrutinizing its Dynamism and Relevance for International Security
Analysis, Asia, Featured, World

Japan’s Indo-Pacific Strategy – Scrutinizing its Dynamism and Relevance for International Security

In the contemporary situation, it is desirable to promote Japan's “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” (FOIP) and to stop policies that may support authoritarianism.Through the values of diplomacy and strategy, Japan is keen to develop key strategic alliances beyond the West and offer a level playing field to its strategic partners in south-east Asia, especially India.Although this task is extremely challenging, containing China and pushing it towards the frameworks of the “rules-based international order” must be taken up by the responsible powers of the world. Japan has been an important player in the Indo-Pacific region both as a major economic power and as a principal agent of the Western alliance. Being a key strategic ally, both to the EU (European Union) and the USA, Japan has made...
Biden’s visit to Ireland – An Indicator of a weakening US and West?
Analysis, Europe, Featured, World

Biden’s visit to Ireland – An Indicator of a weakening US and West?

With a fractured Western alliance, Biden would prefer that the partners of the West work together to confront shared Russian and Chinese concerns.While Biden leads a divided US and a weakened West, US under Clinton as the President was undoubtedly the most powerful state on earth, and was capable of wooing the people of Northern Ireland towards peace.Although Biden may be able to persuade the unionists as the President of the United States, the current situation prevents him from sharing Clinton's optimistic outlook for the future.Instead of trying to sell the Western order to the rest of the world like Clinton did, Biden only wants to keep it together. US  President Joe Biden began his tour to Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom last Tuesday. His visit to Belfast comes at a t...
Brazil pampering China – Is Lula trying to become a middleman between US and China?
Analysis, Asia, Featured, South America, World

Brazil pampering China – Is Lula trying to become a middleman between US and China?

Lula will work to increase trade and investment with China and use multilateral fora like BRICS to uphold neutrality in the age of strategic rivalry. Lula's suggestion that Brazil and other developing nations mediate for peace is a crucial component of his outreach in China. By advocating that Ukraine abandon Crimea in order to achieve peace, he angered Ukriane and many in the West. The effect of Brazil assuming the role of a middleman between the United States and China will be for the entire world to see as it gets ready to host the G-20 conference in 2024. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil, travelled to China last week to fortify ties with that country, which is its largest trading partner. Lula further aimed to garner support for his improbable eff...
Yemen Civil War | Can Iran – Saudi Arabia detente bring much-needed peace in the region?
Analysis, Featured, Middle East, World

Yemen Civil War | Can Iran – Saudi Arabia detente bring much-needed peace in the region?

Though Iran has pledged to stop supplying weapons to Yemen as part of its agreement, ending the dispute would not be simple.Riyadh will have to handle the intricate relationship between Iran’s hopes for economic gains from a de-escalation and the tightening of U.S.-led sanctions on Iran.China stepped in to mediate at a time when Saudi Arabia was gaining ground in the region’s diplomatic and economic power dynamics. The recent détente between Saudi Arabia and Iran is probably going to have a big impact on the civil war in Yemen and could speed up negotiations between Riyadh and the Houthi movement for peace, but it also runs the risk of excluding other groups, such as the main separatist faction, women, and western governments. Although direct negotiations between Saudi Arabia and t...
Analysing President Macron’s Trip to China
Analysis, Asia, Europe, Featured, World

Analysing President Macron’s Trip to China

It was not a surprise that China used Macron's visit and business agreements to further rifts inside Europe and those between the EU and the US.It would be difficult to see a significant improvement in China-EU relations if the EU leaders do not change their stance on the Ukraine war. The trip has certainly left Beijing assured that the two largest EU countries, France and Germany, are keen to keep economic exchange and political dialogue going. This week, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen travelled to Beijing for an important meeting that could have a major impact on the strategic relationship between the world's two largest economies. European leaders have deepened their confrontation with China over human rights, highly sensi...
Is China Preparing for War?
Asia, Featured, World

Is China Preparing for War?

Xi Jinping's declaring the US as its adversary, calling on private businesses to serve China’s military and strategic aims and talking of re-unification of Taiwan, hint at China preparing for war. New law to activate reserved forces, amendments to the Criminal Procedure Law for the Military during wartime, the Opening up of military recruitment centres across the country, upgrading air-raid shelters and emergency hospitals, and a huge increase in its defence budget - all indicate China's preparation for war. Chinese President Xi Jinping wove the theme of war readiness through four separate speeches that he delivered at the annual meeting of the Chinese Parliament and its top political advisory body that was held in March 2023. Out of these four speeches, one was delivered to the de...
Explained | French Pension Reforms and Ensuing Riots
Europe, Featured, World

Explained | French Pension Reforms and Ensuing Riots

While roughly 80% of the French population has deemed the reform unjustified, Macron says that the reform is just and must be implemented. President Macron, with the aim of increasing the retirement age of the workers, wanted to pass the bill in the National Assembly, but due to fewer chances of getting it passed, he used the course of his constitutional executive powers. This constitutional executive power allows the President to force the bill through without a vote in the National Assembly.    Hundreds of thousands of people came to the streets of France to protest against the new retirement age law. At the start, this protest was peaceful, but later it turned violent. Angry protesters took over the streets in Paris and tried to pressure the lawmakers and Macro...
The Kurdish Challenge – Can it make or break Erdoğan’s chances at re-election?
Analysis, Europe, Featured, World

The Kurdish Challenge – Can it make or break Erdoğan’s chances at re-election?

The international community must not neglect the continued violation of the rights of Kurds under President Erdogan's regime and utilise the opportunity of Turkiye's elections to ensure that the Kurds get what they truly deserve. Kurds are an ethnic community having their own cultural and linguistic traditions that have lasted for thousands of years. After World War I, the Western governments promised them their own homeland but that has not materialised even after seven decades. Today, approximately 30 million Kurds are spread across Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran with almost half of them living in Turkey. Among these, Iraq has an autonomous Kurdistan province known as Iraqi Kurdistan. Turkiye's Persecution of Kurds Turkiye has been involved in the criminal persecution of Kur...
Russia’s New Foreign Policy – Indifference to the West and Closer Ties with India and China
Analysis, Asia, Europe, Featured, World

Russia’s New Foreign Policy – Indifference to the West and Closer Ties with India and China

Russian new foreign policy is a perfect reflection of contemporary geopolitics, presenting Moscow's plan for the future, tackling its concerns, and presenting possible solutions to current crises. The strengthening of international economic, technological, cultural, and cross-border cooperation in the polar region should "take into account the national interests of the Russian Federation."With India being the centre of Russian planning, Indo-Russian relations will only surge higher. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday approved Russia’s updated new foreign policy that emphasises strengthening strategic partnerships and trade ties with India and China, while identifying the West as an “existential” threat. “The Russian Federation intends to give priority to the eliminatio...