The Loong March
RASHMEE ROSHAN LALL More than anyone else, it is the Chinese who fear the dragon that is supposed to symbolise their gargantuan, swallow-you-whole economy, which has just overtaken Japan to become the world's second largest. China wants to be seen as the loong, which is a softer, entirely auspicious dragon-like being that is loathe to, in fact [...]
Ajai Shukla: The shadow of Xinjiang
The recent brouhaha over Beijing’s refusal to issue a regular stamped visa for an official visit to China by Lt Gen B S Jaswal, India’s top military commander in J&K, bore the familiar stamp of our public overreaction to Chinese provocation. But there was something remarkable this time. Alongside the “dragon is coming” rants on TV news, [...]
China’s political reforms
Thirty years ago, a small fishing village called Shenzhen led China’s economic miracle. Now, it has a more challenging mission. President Hu Jintao said Shenzhen should test political reforms. Although changes may be disruptive in the short run, more checks and balances and rule of law are key for sustainable growth. China's authoritarian [...]
Revisiting decoupling
In the aftermath of the trans-Atlantic financial crisis of 2008-09, two schools of thought had emerged in India on the likely impact of the Great Recession on the Indian economy. One school drew attention to India’s as yet limited exposure to global trade and capital flows and, therefore, suggested that India would be relatively insulated. A [...]
China’s presence in POK
Rajinder Puri Credible media reports from America have revealed China’s latest thrust in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). China has tightened its grip on this region that was illegally ceded to it by Pakistan in 1963 in violation of UN Resolutions on Kashmir. China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has [...]
Elusive balance against China
Until recently, India viewed Japan, South Korea and Vietnam as prospective investors (the first two) or old friends (the third). Relations with them were “cordial”, diplomatese for boring. Now, suddenly, that is changing and defence ties have acquired new salience. The danger of the South China Sea being turned into a Chinese lake, [...]
Satyajit Das: European delusions of stability
Pre-summer debt concerns of Greece, Spain and Portugal have receded. Market volatility and angst have eased. As markets return after the summer break and normal activity resumes, caution is the watchword. Greece passed its initial inspections carried out by the supervising “Troika”— comprising the European Central Bank (ECB), the European [...]
Enter The Dragon
Taken by itself, Beijing's refusal to grant a visa to northern commander Lt-Gen B S Jaswal would be little more than another one of the calculated rows that crop up between India and China regularly. However, taken in conjunction with reports of PLA presence in Gilgit Baltistan, they hint at the contours of Beijing's evolving strategy in the [...]
De facto abolition
The 2015 target to establish a universal moratorium on executions — proposed by the Spanish Prime Minister at the Fourth World Congress against the Death Penalty held recently in Geneva — is likely to revive momentum on the 2007 non-binding resolution adopted by the U.N. General Assembly to evolve a realistic strategy to discourage states from [...]
US and the chaos of collapse
A Russian chess grandmaster once argued for a simple, but deadly, strategy. The best move is the move just one step ahead: No grand strategy, no complicated moves and pretty much random. It’s an infectious idea for those who have little faith in intellect and complex arguments. There are millions who believe life and events can be so [...]