The Arctic Shortcut: China’s Northern Sea Route and the Rewiring of Global Maritime Trade

The Arctic Shortcut: China’s Northern Sea Route and the Rewiring of Global Maritime Trade

As Arctic ice retreats, geography itself is being rewritten. The Northern Sea Route illustrates how environmental change, technological innovation, commercial strategy, and geopolitics are converging to reshape international trade.

South Asia's Balance of Payments Challenge: The Changing Dynamics of External Balances in South Asia

South Asia remains one of the least integrated regions in the world despite geographical proximity and complementary economic structures. Greater regional trade, improved transport connectivity, cross-border electricity markets, digital payment systems and investment partnerships could substantially reduce external vulnerabilities. 

India's Employment Debate: A Future With Plenty of Work, But Fewer Jobs

Between 2004 and 2023, India produced roughly five million graduates every year, but graduate employment increased by only around 2.8 million annually. Even fewer obtained salaried employment. Millions are either unemployed or working below their qualifications or in the waiting room for the elusive government job. 

How Sri Lanka Missed the Opportunity to Become a 200-billion dollar economy

Policy instability during the 2015-2024 likely pushed back Sri Lanka’s path towards becoming South Asia’s first High-Income Country. The 2022 financial crisis would never have happened as stable growth during the first half of 2015–2024 would have built enough buffer to weather impact of the Covid pandemic 

More on Economy, Trade and Development

Nepal ambassador's interview in Beijing causes storm

Nepali analysts and observers on Monday woke up to an interview with Mahendra Bahadur Pandey, Nepal’s ambassador to China, with the China's Global Times, just as a section of Nepali media, including the Post, reported on cargo trucks stranded at Nepal-China border points

A genocidal China and an apathetic United Nations

China has become a threat to humanity and deserves the imposition of severe sanctions, writes Lt Gen Prakash Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor 

Nepalese traders eying festival sales worried as goods stuck at Chinese borders

In January, Dhiraj Shrestha, who owns Maha Ambe, an apparel store in the heart of Kathmandu, had ordered clothes from China

New Chinese ambassador to Pakistan to prioritise, promote CPEC

Nong Rong, Chinese ambassador-designate to Pakistan, is an expert in trade and commerce, is currently a minister in a Guangxi provincial government

Farakka Committee: Implement the Teesta Project with cooperation of China

The International Farakka Committee (IFC), which campaigns for parity in water-sharing of transboundary rivers between India and Bangladesh, has welcomed the government’s move to implement a Chinese-funded project for the Teesta River, that if completed promises to remove the dependence on upstream India for its fair share of the waters

Chinese goods worth Rs 20K Cr lying at Indian ports

Inflow of Chinese goods could see a rise in the October-December quarter as items worth about Rs 20,000 crore -- primarily comprising electronics and electrical items, gifts, toys, footwear, home and kitchen appliances -- still lie at the Indian ports waiting for clearance

China, UN to hold high-level conference on poverty reduction

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will on Saturday attend and chair a high-level virtual conference on poverty alleviation and South-South cooperation, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced Friday

China wants India to vacate key heights before de-escalation on LAC

China is insisting that India vacates strategic heights on the south bank of Pangong Lake ahead of talks on disengagement on the LAC, top Indian Army sources said

Nepal-China border point reopens after three-week closure

The Rasuwagadhi-Kerung border point between Nepal and China reopened on Thursday after it remained closed for around three weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior customs official said here

Pillar number 11 along Nepal-China border in Humla, which was said to be missing, has been found

Pillar number 11 along the Nepal-China border in Humla district, which was said to have been missing, has been found

Maldives-China relations important for economic recovery: Foreign Minister

Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid, on Wednesday, said that strengthening the relations between Maldives and China is crucial for economic recovery

No boundary dispute with China: Nepal foreign minister

Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali on Wednesday said that there is no boundary dispute with China, referring to recent media reports that said China had encroached on Nepalese territory and built 11 buildings in Humla district on the Nepal-China border

PTI govt waives guarantee fee on Chinese loans taken to build nuclear plants in Karachi

The federal government has waived the guarantee fee on the Chinese loans being taken to construct two nuclear power plants in Karachi and also sought a report on the total outstanding employee-related liabilities of the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM)

Tibetans in crosshairs of Xi's assault

Chinese President Xi Jinping is relying on the United Front Work Department (UFWD)-a Mao-era contraption-to tighten his totalitarian grip on Chinas society and economy

Now China encroaches upon Nepal territory

After India, China is now embroiled in a fresh boundary dispute with Nepal in its remote Humla district that is close to the Nepal-Tibet border