In The News

A Torrent of Hyperbole

Nayan Chanda December 23, 2013
Those arrested or detained in the United States, women and men of all ages, charged with small crimes or large, are routinely searched for their own protection and the protection of others held. Two contrasting stories have emerged about treatment of domestic help by an Indian diplomat charged with lying on a visa application. Politics and media as entertainment have combined to elicit extreme...

Delhi Should Avoid Lasting Damages to India-US Ties

Rajesh Rajagopalan December 18, 2013
A junior diplomat stationed in New York City was charged by US marshals for underpaying a maid. Standard procedure for such detainees includes a strip search, and India is furious. The United States responds that junior diplomats do not have immunity; Indian leaders contend that the arrest could have been handled more sensitively. The United States and India should not allow the incident to ruin...

Paying the China Price

Nayan Chanda November 15, 2013
Manufacturing that adapts to new technologies and conditions shapes societies and economies. The challenge for India and other countries is competing with China’s low costs. Nayan Chanda, YaleGlobal’s editor in his column for Businessworld, describes how business people place manufacturing orders with China and then reap the profits by re-selling readymade goods or assembling components with big...

India and China Seek Economic Integration

Neeta Lal November 5, 2013
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are supporting a multibillion dollar construction corridor encompassing Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar that could “redraw the economic and geopolitical map of Asia,” reports Neeta Lal for the Asia Sentinel. The BCIM corridor was a topic during Li’s trip to India. “’Connectivity’ is China’s new mantra and the focus of...

India Steps Up Military Aid to Myanmar to Offset China’s Might

Rajat Pandit November 4, 2013
India is providing a range of military aid to Myanmar, including aircraft, weapons, software, communications and surveillance equipment, and training. The goal is to counterbalance years of aid – and resource investment – by China. Myanmar will also host a base for an Indian training team, and some members of its special forces will attend counterinsurgency military programs in India, reports...

The US and Pakistan: An Incompatible Couple

Dilip Hiro October 31, 2013
As the United States withdraws forces from landlocked Afghanistan, it needs cooperation from Pakistan for the easiest exit route and support against the ongoing war on terrorism. Pakistan resents US drone attacks and other intrusions, yet with a troubled economy, also relies on funding from the United States and the International Monetary Fund. Pakistan seeks more policy leniency, including a...

Which Asian Century?

Richard N. Haass October 30, 2013
Asia has the population and economic potential to dominate the 21st century. Yet Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, points out that Asia confronts two paths – continuing economic growth while avoiding conflict or increasing tensions. Haass suggests that Europe during the 20th century offers a model: During the first half, the continent engaged in two world wars with...