Category: South Asia

China Steps In to Mediate Pakistan-Afghanistan Border Dispute

China is stepping up diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan after recent clashes along their disputed frontier, highlighting Beijing’s growing role as a regional mediator in South Asia. Officials say China has offered to facilitate dialogue between the two ...

China Calls for Afghanistan-Pakistan Ceasefire

China called on Friday for a ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan, adding it was talking to both sides to try to end violent clashes that had left Beijing "deeply concerned." Pakistan is one of China's closest partners in the region, but ...

With Pakistan and Afghanistan at War, China Confronts a Strategic Moment on Its Frontier

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared "open war" against Afghanistan on Friday amid a surge of fighting between the two South Asian neighbors. Pakistan said it's retaliating against Afghanistan for a series of attacks, including a suicide bombing in early February that killed ...

Post-Uprising Polls Won’t Shake Nepal’s Delicate India-China Balance

By Aishwarya Kumar Nepal votes next week for the first time since deadly anti-corruption protests toppled the government, but analysts say any winner will likely maintain the delicate diplomatic balance between its two giant neighbors, India and China. ...

Bangladesh Inauguration Invites Reveal Careful Balancing

The leaders of thirteen countries, including China, India, and Pakistan, have reportedly been invited to the swearing-in of Bangladesh’s newly elected government on Tuesday. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson, Tarique Rahman, will be inaugurated as the country’s new leader. His ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

Why Green Energy Will Be the Big Winner of the Iran Crisis

By Cobus van Staden, CGSP Head of Research
Remember “no blood for oil”? Decades ago, the slogan emblematized opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Its logic subsequently shifted as the United States experienced a gas and oil revolution thanks to fracking. 

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China and India Meet to Calm Tensions, but Emphasize Different Priorities

Senior diplomats from China and India met in New Delhi on Tuesday for talks aimed at further de-escalating tensions between the two Asian neighbors. Chinese Executive Vice Minister Ma Zhaoxu met with India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on the sidelines of a ...

U.S. Moves to Counter China in Bangladesh, Plans to Pitch Defense Alternatives

By Krishna N. Das The United States is concerned about China's expanding presence in South Asia and is planning to offer Bangladesh’s next government U.S. and allied defense systems as alternatives to Chinese hardware, Washington's ambassador to Dhaka told Reuters.

Bangladesh Election Fuels China Pivot, Reshaping South Asia’s Power Balance

Bangladesh's national election on Thursday may shift South Asia's geopolitical balance as China expands influence while India's regional standing weakens. The vote follows last year's student uprising that toppled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who remains sheltered in India despite extradition requests. ...

China Set to Widen Footprint in Bangladesh as India’s Ties Decline

By Tora Agarwala China’s influence in Bangladesh, boosted by the 2024 ouster of New Delhi‑aligned leader Sheikh Hasina, is likely to deepen after this week's election, although politicians and analysts say India is too large a neighbor to be sidelined completely.

China Condemns Islamabad Mosque Attack, Pledges Support for Pakistan

China condemned an attack on a Shi'ite mosque in Islamabad, pledging support on Sunday for the Pakistan government's efforts to "maintain national security and stability". China is "deeply shocked" by Friday's attack, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

China’s Xi Says India, China Are ‘Friends, Partners’

China's President Xi Jinping said China and India were "good neighbours, friends and partners" as he wished President Droupadi Murmu congratulations on the South Asian nation's Republic Day, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Monday. Xi said that over the past year, China-India ...

After the Kabul Bombing, Chinese Social Media Fixates on the Woman Behind the Restaurant

In the days after the bombing of a Chinese restaurant in Kabul, a second wave of attention rippled through the Chinese internet. As videos from the scene circulated in news reports, Chinese netizens began asking a simple question: who owned the restaurant?
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