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China, Russia and the Tussle for Influence in Kazakhstan ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- Arthur Guschin)

Source- Wikimedia Commons/ Credits- www.kremlin.ru Source- The Diplomat Author- Arthur Guschin Until recently, Central Asia played only a modest role in world politics, a reflection of its economic weakness, domestic problems, and distrust of integration. Russia’s presence in the region as the primary political mediator and economic partner was incontestable. In the last few years, though, China’s growing economic interest in Central Asia has come to be seen in Moscow as a threat to its influence. Russia is watching closely the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative, which would give Beijing the dominant role and could supplant the Eurasian Economic Union. With Kazakhstan the core state in any integration project in the region, it looks set to become the frontlines of the tussle between China and Russia for regional influence. Russian Interests Driving Russian policy in Kazakhstan are the activities of four major Russian energy companies: Gazprom, Lukoil, Transneft a

Narendra Modi’s Active Indian Ocean Diplomacy ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- S.K Chatterji)

Image credits- MEA Official Gallery Source- The Diplomat Author- S.K Chatterji The power equations in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) have implications not only for the littoral states but for the entire Asia-Pacific region. Through the Indian Ocean run some of the busiest sea lanes globally, as oil and natural resources traverse from west to east to feed the burgeoning needs of the world’s second largest economy, China, and the country it dislodged from that slot, Japan. By virtue of its size, geographic location, and economic and military potential India is expected to play a leading role in keeping the sea lanes of communication through the Indian Ocean safe for international trade and commerce. The growing might of the Chinese Navy and its outreach to IOR nations is a concern, one not entirely limited to India. China’s aggressive posture in the South China Sea is shaping regional apprehensions. Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Taiwan, South Korea, Philippines,

A legal clarification

A word of caution for my friends.I have been getting messages in the social media stating that the central government of India  has passed a new section into the Indian Penal Code  by which a girl  can kill a person who might try to rape and she is completely protected by law. For record, Sec.233 of IPC concerns the offence of counterfeiting.  It would be foolish to expect the government to pass such a law that will be open for misuse. Any girl can kill any man and take up this defence. No such law has been formulated. If you get such a message, please do not believe the same.

Japan may give military support to US in South China Sea: Duowei ( Source- Want China Times)

Source- Wikimedia Commons / Author- United States Marine Corps By Lance Caption Kevin M. Knallay Source- Want China Times Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito Party held negotiations over a new amendment to the US-Japan Security Treaty on March 20, according to Duowei News, a media outlet run by overseas Chinese. The amendment is expected to grant Japan the right to collective self-defense and will provide a legal framework for the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) to provide back up for the US military and the militaries of its other allies. There are currently measures in place which prevent the dispatch of the JSDF overseas. The government is drawing up a draft bill to change this, however, at the same time as it is renegotiating its security treaty with the US. China and other neighboring countries engaged in territorial disputes in the resource-rich South China Sea were the focus of the negotiations on March 20. The negotiations suggest t

NEW NEIGHBOURLINESS IN INDIA-SRI LANKA TIES – ANALYSIS ( SOURCE- EURASIA REVIEW / AUTHOR- P.S SURYANARAYA)

Source- Flickr (Image credits- The Presidency of Sri Lanka) Source- Eurasia Review Author- P.S Suryanarayana Neighbourhood diplomacy can be tricky even at the best of times, because any two neighbours will have common but differing expectations of a good bilateral relationship. Viewed in this light, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s latest visit to Sri Lanka has gone off well, without setting the Palk Strait on fire. This sums up the outcome, in a positive turn of the Thames-metaphor for the narrow waterway that bridges (or segregates) the two countries. To be sure, no diplomatic breakthroughs were announced during the two-day visit hat concluded on 14 March 2015. By all accounts, however, the diplomatic mood and political atmospherics toned up the quotient of Indo-Sri Lankan neighbourliness. Apart from holding talks with Sri Lanka’s relatively new executive President, Maithripala Sirisena, Modi met a number of leaders, including those out of office, across the p

Can Congress Stop China in the South China Sea? ( Source- The National Interest / Author- Harry J. Kazianis)

USS Nimitz (CVN-68) ( Source- Wikimedia Commons / Credits- The United States Navy) Source- The National Interest Author- Harry J. Kazianis The balance of power in Asia is changing—and not in Washington’s favor. No longer can the United States count on simply massing forces Gulf War I style and quickly coming to the aid of its allies if combat ever commenced on the Korean peninsula, in the East China Sea, around Taiwan or in the South China Sea—all thanks to China’s massive military buildup and growing anti-access/area-denial capabilities. The Obama Administration is quick to point out America is “pivoting” or “rebalancing” to Asia—maybe one of the most “sticky” foreign policy slogans in the last twenty five years. But catchphrases can’t change the facts and many would argue the pivot remains only a slogan when we take a hard look at facts on the ground. China is not only altering the status quo on land but on the water, in the sky, in space, and maybe even in cyberspace

Is China’s Economic Power in ASEAN Overblown? ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- Prashanth Parameswaran)

Image credits- Xinhua Source- The Diplomat Author- Prashanth Parameswaran While a lot has been written about China’s growing economic influence in Southeast Asia, the analysis is often based on a survey of certain ambitious initiatives that have yet to play out – like the Maritime Silk Road – or flowery statements and declarations by leaders rather than measuring its actual impact using hard data. I’ve pointed out the folly of this before, most recently in an article on Sino-Indonesian relations for The Diplomat. A recent report released by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission attempts to actually measure China’s economic ties with the ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) using trade and investment data. The report’s findings suggest that China is actually much less of a juggernaut than it is often portrayed to be in Southeast Asia, and that there are still lingering problems with Beijing’s economic relationships in the

US Officials Believe North Korea Has SLBMs ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- Ankit Panda)

Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Author- J.A De Roo Source- The Diplomat Author- Ankit Panda The Washington Free Beacon reports that North Korea is making progress toward operationalizing submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). The report, by the Beacon‘s Bill Gertz, cites comments made by the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, Admiral Cecil D. Haney, in a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee disclosed on Thursday. As The Diplomat covered last fall, North Korea’s SLBM development has been under the watchful eye of observers for some time now. A satellite imagery study by 38 North strongly hinted at an ongoing SLBM development process at North Korea’s Sinpo South Shipyard. Gertz’s report confirms that U.S. officials now believe that a North Korean SLBM is a safe assumption. A robust SLBM capability would be a major step for North Korea, particularly if it manages to successfully miniaturize a nuclear device for delivery from a submarine (a consider