East Asia

About Centre

The East Asia Centre is dedicated to study and research the domestic and foreign policies of individual countries of the region as well as India’s multifaceted relationships with these countries. With respect to China, the Centre’s research foci are its foreign policy (particularly towards the US, Russia, Central Asia and Asia Pacific), domestic politics, economy, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and India’s relationship with China in all its dimensions. The Centre’s research also focuses on Taiwan, its domestic politics, Sino-Taiwanese relationship and Indo-Taiwanese relationship, Hong Kong and India-Hong Kong relations. Japan and Korea are the other major focus of the Centre, with its research focused on their domestic politics, foreign policy and comprehensive bilateral relationships with India. The geopolitics of the Asia Pacific and the Korean peninsula are also studied in the Centre.

The centre brings out five monthly newsletters: East Asia Military Monitor, Japan Digest, China Science and Technology, Korea Newsletter, and China Military Digest.

The South China Sea Disputes: Why Conflict is not Inevitable?

No party to the dispute, including China, has thus far challenged the principle of freedom of navigation for global trade through the South China Sea.

Rukmani Gupta
October 17, 2011
IDSA Comments

The South China Sea Imbroglio

Competing claims and reports of oil and gas rich fields in the South China Sea have woven a complicated web affecting the maritime security environment.

Ozawa Ichiro on Trial

With 120 members belonging to his faction, Ozawa still wields decisive influence to make or unmake the government led by the DPJ.

Rajaram Panda
October 14, 2011
IDSA Comments

The Significance and Implications of Tiangong I

China’s development of a space station is not only for the purpose of scientific experimentation but also to showcase its technological and economic strength.

Ajey Lele
October 07, 2011
IDSA Comments

India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue: Another Positive Step

The SED should eventually create a greater interface at the sub-national level by including other arenas of cooperation like defence, tourism, sports, and cultural interaction involving a wider exchange at the level of people.

South Korea’s Naval Base on Ulleung Island

South Korea hopes that the new base will help strengthen its territorial rights on Dokdo as the base would enable its ships to reach the islands quickly.

Rajaram Panda
October 03, 2011
IDSA Comments

Prospects and Challenges for Expanding India-Japan Economic Relations

A new tide is visible in Japan for expanding Indo-Japan relations based on mutual complementarities.

Makoto KOJIMA
October 03, 2011
Issue Brief

Tibetan Waters: A Source of Cooperation or Conflict?

Lower riparian countries likely to be affected by China’s construction of dams and river diversion projects in Tibet need to initiate a bilateral or multilateral dialogue with China.

Hari Bansh Jha
September 30, 2011
IDSA Comments

Sino-Indian Trade: Smoothening the Rough Edges

The composition of the Indian delegation to the ongoing Strategic Economic Dialogue is suggestive that issues such as telecom, water, infrastructural development and railways are being discussed on a priority basis.