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India–Bangladesh Land Trade: Non-Tariff Barriers

India–Bangladesh land trade continues to underperform, constrained not by the absence of preferential market access but by entrenched non-tariff barriers.

How ASEAN and the Quad Are Quietly Aligning in an Era of Strategic Competition

An annual high-level QUAD-ASEAN Forum could provide a structured platform for ensuring sustained cooperation and policy coordination.

China’s Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) in Focus

The GCI is one of the four global initiatives Xi Jinping put forward to pursue China’s core foreign policy concept, ‘Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind.’

China’s AI Diplomacy and the Global South

China-led AI governance architecture allows Beijing to engage with non-Western countries without being dictated to by the US.

Diversification of the Philippines’ Strategic Partnerships

Manila is deepening its defence and security cooperation with like-minded countries such as India, Japan and Australia.

PM Modi Travels to Central Asia: A Welcome Move

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visits to Bishkek and Tashkent will invigorate India’s bilateral and regional ties with Central Asian countries.

Where is the ‘Northeast’ in India’s ‘Act East Policy’?

In reviewing India’s ambitious Act East Policy (formerly the Look East Policy), it appears that the Northeast region’s agenda is being sidelined in policy formulation. The most important driver of the policy, that is, the development of the Northeast, was primarily to foster its culture, commerce, and connectivity with Southeast Asian economies. The North Eastern Region Vision 2047 (Second Draft Report) highlights that to develop the Northeast is to not only strengthen society, the economy, natural resources and national security, but also to serve as a bridgehead to Southeast Asia (North Eastern Council Citation2024). However, the Northeast region is perceived as being underdeveloped, and non-state actors, such as insurgents, take advantage of its geography, which connects Myanmar to the ‘Golden Triangle’, for illicit activities. In response, the Government of India prioritised setting targets to develop the Northeast first through connectivity projects and focusing on regional development to overcome the region’s shortcomings.