China’s SAARC Membership: The Debate

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has been in existence for 29 years, but has made slow progress. Despite this, many countries within and outside the region aspire to be part of this forum. As a result, SAARC is the only association in the world, which has more observer members (nine), than full-fledged members (eight). China is presently the observer member in SAARC, and working towards enhancing its roleto“dialogue partner” and later on obtaining the full membership. However,China’s SAARC membership is widely debated. In this context, the paper attempts to analyse the arguments in favour and against China’s membershipand examines India’s position and concerns vis-à-vis China’s elevated role in SAARC. Subsequently, it identifies and discusses the factors favouring China to become a full fledge member of SAARC. This paper concludes thatChina’s SAARC membership might become inevitable at some time in the future. However, the question is – can India intelligently and sophisticatedly play its cards to advance its own interests

China’s Footprints in Maldives: Concern for India?

China has, in the recent decades, has consolidated its interests in the South Asian region. This change in China‟s foreign policy, from a focus on the North-East and South-East Asia, hints at an attempt to sustain China‟s own peaceful rise. India, on the other hand, has emphasised on a „Look East‟ foreign policy in the recent times. Both India and China share an important diplomatic relationship with Maldives. However, China‟s growing influence in Maldives might be a serious strategicconcern to India. This article is an exploratory study of the relationship that China shares with Maldives and its implications to India

China’s Strategic Engagement with Sri Lanka: Implications for India

The way the foreign policy of China has evolved in recent decades to consolidate its interests could be an object lesson to other countries. Initially, China’s Asia policy focused on Northeast and Southeast Asia. But in recent times, South Asia has gained tremendous importance in China’s foreign policy, which currently aims to maintain and promote regional peace and stability and, in consequence, sustain China’s own peaceful rise. As a result, South Asia constitutes an important region for China’s strategic ambit, and Sri Lanka is no different. In this context, this paper attempts to examine the growing China-Sri Lanka strategic engagement in general and particularly under President Rajapakse regime, which actually transformed the bilateral ties. India’s response to deepening ties between China and Sri Lanka and President Sririsena’s balancing approach towards India and China is analysed

India and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization: Issues and concerns

This article attempts to analyze why India should consider itself as an ideal candidate for SCO membership, despite the member countries indicating that they have no plans to accept new members in the near future. Nevertheless, India should continue to pursue its case for membership, as it will benefit both India and the SCO members. In order to understand and analyze this, the article discusses the origin and growth of SCO and its emergence as a regional international organization. It identifies the potential benefits that India can gain by becoming the full member of SCO. It also analyses India's present concerns and the challenges it would have to confront after obtaining the full membership. Finally, it examines the prevailing perception of the US on SCO and the potentials of possible US engagement with SCO in the near future