Last week, The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center hosted a very timely discussion on the prospects for U.S.–Australia–India Trilateral Cooperation featuring Graham Fletcher, the deputy chief of mission at the Australian embassy in Washington, D.C.; Sunjoy Joshi, the director of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), an Indian think tank; Heritage’s own Walter Lohman, director of its Asian Studies Center; and Heritage senior research fellow for South Asia Lisa Curtis. This event follows the recent release of “Shared Goals, Converging Interests: A Plan for U.S.–Australia–India Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific,” a joint …
India is steadily emerging to be one of the world’s top economic players but still faces development challenges and infrastructure bottlenecks that hinder growth. Heritage’s Lisa Curtis has been arguing that the U.S. needs to acknowledge India’s growing global role and the changing Asian strategic landscape. With new relationships emerging in Asia, the United States has an opportunity to strengthen its presence in this vital region. Following the State Department’s announcement that the first round of U.S.–India–Japan trilateral talks will occur before the end of the year, it is time …
A beleaguered Indian federal government tried last week to break out of its rut and boost what is finally recognized as a struggling Indian economy. It did so with a bold and valuable decision to expand foreign participation in retail. Foreign companies will be able to wholly own single-brand stores and majority-own multi-brand stores. There are a number of qualifiers to this long-awaited liberalization, including the right for Indian states to say no, which several have already exercised loudly. These state governments are making an error, as are the national …
In a November 15 op-ed in The Age, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that she would push her Labor Party to overturn its ban on selling uranium to India when the party meets next month. The unexpected announcement is a testament to the growing importance that Australia attaches to ties with India and should lead to a significant deepening of their bilateral partnership. In 2008, Australia’s Labor Party government reversed a decision by its predecessor to end the ban on export of uranium to India on the grounds that …
The most recent reminder of the complex relationship dynamics between India and China was the first “Strategic Economic Dialogue” that took place last week. The diplomatic relationship between India and China has been less than warm in the last few years, with simmering border disputes and recent disagreements over China’s much disputed claims in the South China Sea. Many of the countries in the Indo-Pacific region, from India to Vietnam and the Philippines, are deeply concerned about China’s military modernization and intentions in the region. Today, and in the years …
The stage is set for significantly heightened tensions along China’s southern coast. China recently warned that Indian companies should not engage in oil exploration in Vietnamese waters claimed by China, and India rebuffed China’s implicit claim that those waters are Chinese territories. The Chinese message referred to portions of the South China Sea that are in dispute between China and Vietnam, with a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson stating, “Our consistent position is that we are opposed to any country engaging in oil and gas exploration and development activities in waters …
Terrorists struck again in India—this time in the nation’s capital at the High Court, where at least 11 were killed and more than 80 were injured. Today’s attack comes less than two months after serial bombings in Mumbai claimed 25 lives. While suspicions for the Mumbai attacks fell on a shadowy homegrown terrorist group called the Indian Mujahideen, today’s bombing was claimed by a well-known, Pakistan-based terrorist group that has also been active in Bangladesh. The Harakat-ul-Jihadi-Islami (HuJI)—a group that focused on attacking targets in Indian Kashmir in the 1990s …
Catching you up on clips, commentary and news of the day. Sign up for the daily email update from Scribe. Time for a red-tape rescue – Ed Feulner Debate continues on balanced budget amendment – Trish Choate Test cheating rooted in centralization – Lindsey Burke Bill Clinton Does ‘Jim Crow’ – WSJ Let’s hope N.C.’s voter ID bill lives to fight another day – Pat McCrory Pakistan racing to placate China: An analysis – Seema Sirohi Levin and McCain: We have no idea how much debt deal cuts defense – Josh …
Sometimes things don’t work out the way we expect. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg today announced a $50 million gift to the Sierra Club. His motive? “Coal is a self-inflicted public health risk…and the leading cause of climate disruption.” But what will actually come out of the Bloomberg gift? 1) The Sierra Club is likely to be more effective in attacking the U.S. coal industry; 2) U.S. coal production will therefore not reach the level it might have without the gift; 3) U.S. coal exports are then unlikely to reach …
Catching you up on clips, commentary and news of the day. Sign up for the daily email update from Scribe. FOX and the Sharks – Mike Gonzalez Are the Rich Undertaxed? – Michael G. Franc In wake of Mumbai attacks, Pak could help save dialogue with India – Lisa Curtis A subsidy by any other name – David Kreutzer U.N. sea treaty still a bad deal for U.S. – Kim R. Holmes Politics has overtaken science at the EPA – Dr. Gilbert Ross White House Defends Net Neutrality Rules, Disses Defunding …
