It may be an irony but China’s aggression has pushed India to expedite long overdue military replacements and urgent purchases, writes Col Anil Bhat (retd) for South Asia Monitor
But in NSS 2025 the specific reference to the “Quad” appears less central as compared to its 2022 prominence. The document emphasized the allies assuming primary responsibility for their own region even as it identified the Indo-Pacific as a key economic and geopolitical battleground. It reiterates that alliances and strengthening partnerships “will be the bedrock of security and prosperity long into the future”
It’s heartening to see that China has resumed the pilgrimage of Indian pilgrims to the sacred Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region this year after a five-year break, and India has restarted the issuance of tourist visas to Chinese citizens suspended since 2020. Recently, several direct flights between the two countries have been restored. This development is expected to strengthen exchanges in people-to-people fields, as well as in trade, culture, and other areas.
Despite China's might and backing, Gyeltsen Norbu has lacked legitimacy and following among Tibetans and Tibetan Buddhists elsewhere, and many suspect the 15th Dalai Lama appointed by Beijing will suffer the same fate. The Dalai Lama has emphasised that China must reach a resolution on the Tibetan question during his lifetime, and many fear that without his moral authority, no solution will have widespread acceptance among the Tibetan people.
In reality not much has changed, the two sides lack a clear understanding of each other and misperception, nationalism and overall strategic mistrust have become the driving force. Even after much talk of building mutual understanding, in reality the gap continues not only among the governments but also among the people. In November 2025 Prema Wangjom Thongdok, a UK-based Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh was harassed at Shanghai airport on her way to Japan. As per reports, Chinese officials claimed that, “Arunachal is not a part of India” and that she “should apply for a Chinese passport” as she was Chinese and not Indian.
It may be an irony but China’s aggression has pushed India to expedite long overdue military replacements and urgent purchases, writes Col Anil Bhat (retd) for South Asia Monitor
India is looking forward to a "constructive" dialogue with China to resolve issues in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh, sources in the security establishment said on Monday ahead of the 14th round of military talks between the two sides on the 20-month border row
In a veiled reference to India, China has said “no third party” can derail its strong ties with Sri Lanka, hours after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded his visit to Colombo
Sri Lanka and the Maldives, two of China’s close developmental partners in South Asia, have sought debt restructuring when Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded his five-nation tour that included the two South Asia countries
Sea cucumber farming is slowly becoming popular in the northern part of Sri Lanka where over 600 fishermen are currently involved in the lucrative trade
Security analysts are baffled how an agreement between ISRO and Oppo India has been signed as it greatly increases the security risk for India
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday launched the Pakistan-China Business Investment Forum to fast-track project approvals and investment proposals from Chinese investors
Sri Lanka has been looking to Chinese tourists, considered the world’s largest spending tourists, to revive its struggling tourism industry as Sri Lankan officials and airlines hold discussions with leading Chinese group tour operators
A week after a group of Indian parliamentarians, including a minister in the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attended a dinner reception hosted by the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi expressed “concern” over their participation and asked them in separate letters to “refrain from providing support to the ‘Tibetan independence’ forces”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Sri Lanka and the Maldives early January, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian confirmed, as Beijing seeks to enhance its influence in the region, considered as India's backyard
The Chinese ambassador to Sri Lanka visit to the Northern region of Sri Lanka, during which he travelled to Jaffna and Mannar and the northernmost point of the island at Point Pedro, has raised curiosity, and concern
China never accepts deadlines on resolving disputes; in the decades to come it's going to be a hostile coexistence for India and China, write Pradeep S. Mehta and Sandra George for South Asia Monitor
Maldives Vice President Ahmed Naseem met the newly appointed Chinese Ambassador to Male, Wang Lixin, and reaffirmed the archipelago’s firm support for the “One-China” policy
Sri Lanka has now agreed to take delivery of organic fertilizer from China’s Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co Ltd, almost two months after Colombo had rejected its shipment, citing poor standards, forcing the firm to initiate arbitration proceedings
The situation at the China-India border is “generally stable” and both sides are maintaining dialogue and communication through diplomatic and military channels to ease the border situation following the standoff at eastern Ladakh, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday