By Abia Fathima and Shilpa Susan John, Research Officers, C3S “ASEAN 3.0: Charting Economic Pathways in an Era of Adversarial Trade and Tariffs” was conducted on 4th of February, 2026, at CHRIST University, Bangalore. The one-day conference was organised to examine the evolving economic and strategic partnership between India and the ASEAN nations. Set against a global backdrop of protectionism and shifting trade dynamics, the event brought together diplomats, academics, and

By Dr. Adityanjee and Guncha Shandilya Image Courtesy: DRaS Introduction: China’s contemporary diplomatic posture can be traced back to Deng Xiaoping’s strategic counsel in the 1990s to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP): “Hide your strength and bide your time.” Although Deng articulated this philosophy, it was his successor, the 3 rd generation CCP/PLA Leader Jiang Zemin, who formalized this phrase in its widely recognized form. For over two decades, this pragmatic doctrine

By Dharshini Renganathan, Research Intern, C3S Guided by, Mr. MR Sivaraman IAS (Retd), Distinguished Member, C3S Image Courtesy: Unsplash Abstract: This research aims to examine the recent development in the fast fashion industry in the background of unethical practises in the employment of labour which has tended to dominate the debates amongst consumers of fast fashion garments. The fast fashion goods are manufactured in China by Multi-National Companies owning well-know

By Yashita S, Research Intern, C3S Guided by Major General Rajiv Narayanan , Distinguished Member, C3S Image Courtesy: Scroll Abstract: Existing scholarly views on military transformation highly focus on quantitative comparisons of hardware such as aircrafts, ships, tanks or defence budgets. These studies provide valuable data on modernization but restrict them to arms and ammunitions, neglecting the importance of institutional reforms which focus on how lessons are absorbed

By Kirsten Wilfred Coelho, Research Intern, C3S Guided by Commodore R S Vasan, Director General, C3S Image Courtesy: SCMP Abstract: Undersea cables make up a key component of global internet communications, and the Chinese state has succeeded in expanding its global footprint via diplomatic measures involving this infrastructure. This approach comes under the Digital Silk Route programme and broader Belt and Road Initiative, and has come under the scrutiny of multiple countr

By Niyomi Jinasri, Research Intern, C3S Guided by Dr Ashik J. Bonofer, Distinguished Member, C3S Image courtesy: Medium Abstract: China’s future ambitions are reflected in its gigantic industrial complexes that have proliferated since the Reform and Opening Up. These structures are accompanied by the growth of large commercial spaces, symbolizing the government’s ability to turn massive migration into market growth. Since the early 2010s, the simultaneous rise of incomes and

By Rahul Karan Reddy Image Courtesy: SCMP The investigation of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli for “serious disciplinary and legal violations” (严重违纪违法) is a reminder that Xi Jinping’s struggle for primacy can shock and surprise even the most keen-eyed observers of Chinese politics. The plethora of rumors and propaganda swirling about the circumstances of the investigation into Zhang Youxia in particular has spawned a variety of interpretations on the balance of power in the Commu

By Annunthra Rangan, Senior Research Officer, C3S Image courtesy: SpecialEurasia Iran is witnessing a phase of unrest that increasingly resembles a revolutionary rupture rather than a cyclical episode of protest. Unlike earlier waves of dissent, the current movement shows little sign of retreat despite the intensity of state repression. Reports suggesting that the death toll crossed 12,000 within a matter of weeks underscore the extraordinary scale of violence and mark a grim

By Arul Braighta Arulanantham, Research Officer, C3S The Chennai Centre for China Studies (C3S) organized the One day seminar titled “Tibet, Ecology, Governance, and Geostrategy” on 20 January 2026 , in collaboration with the Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and in association with the Department of Political Science, Madras Christian College (MCC) . The seminar aimed to provide a multidimensional understanding of Tibet, focusing on its ecological significance, governance chal

By Abia Fathima, Research Officer, C3S 12th November, 2025, Wednesday Speakers : Dr. P.S. Srinivas, Dr. Frank N. Pieke, Sunil Rallan, TV Krishnamurthy Moderator : Commodore RS Vasan Others present : Annunthra Rangan, Senior Research Officer, Shilpa Susan John, Research Officer, Mary Sony K, Research Officer, Arul Braighta, Research Officer, Abia Fathima Part-time Research Officer The Chennai Centre for China Studies (C3S) conducted a closed door round-table discussion with Dr

C3S China Watch is a fortnightly bulletin offering news and analysis related to China from an Indian perspective. The newsletter is compiled by Team C3S. It has emerged as an essential brief for the research community, strategic affairs community, and China watchers from around the globe.

by Arul Braighta Arulanantham Image Courtesy : Adobe Stock Introduction: Beyond Resource Romance When Salvador Allende nationalized Chile's copper mines in 1971, the world watched a peripheral nation challenge the established order of resource extraction. U.S. multinationals retreated amid accusations of excessive profits, diplomatic pressure mounted, and Chile stood defiant declaring the expropriation a "Day of National Dignity." Half a century later, another resource drama

By Abia Fathima Image courtesy: The Hindu Abstract This article examines the geopolitics of the critical mineral supply chain, which is dominated by the People's Republic of China's structural control of midstream processing and refining, holding more than 90% of global rare earth separation capacity. Beijing's strategy was formalized in 2025 with the weaponisation of export controls, most notably by applying the Foreign Direct Product Rule to rare earth magnets, claiming ju

By Balaji Chandramohan Image courtesy: DD News The recent visit of the Russian President to India as a part of the 23rd Annual Summit, India-Russia relations continue to have predominance in the strategic arena. 1 The Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership – established in 2010 and built on decades of cooperation – has maintained steady momentum through 2024–25 despite shifting global geopolitics bringing both Moscow and New Delhi together. 2 Meanwhile, since the signi

By Kirsten Wilfred Coelho Image courtesy: Reuters Once considered to be the hub for smartphone innovation worldwide, Huawei phones are now back in the limelight. In 2019, several tech experts worldwide called it a sad day when the USA put Huawei mobiles on the “Entity” list, which basically translated into a complete ban on the sales of the phone on US territory. The then-Trump administration went to the extent of preventing major service providers like Google from dealing w

Image Courtesy: Vijesti Introduction: The concept of a “G-2”, a US–China global duopoly, has received renewed attention within both the media and strategic-policy circles over recent months. In this sense, the declaration by the U.S. President in 2025 that “THE G2 WILL BE CONVENING SHORTLY!” re-ignited speculation that Washington and Beijing might seek to reimagine global governance through a tightly knit bilateral framework. For instance, The Economic Times framed the G-2 ar

Over the past five years, Beijing’s external behaviour has moved between two striking modes: (a) aggressive, performative confrontation- the “wolf-warrior” style of blunt threats, public shaming, trade punishments and menacing rhetoric and (b) targeted, transactional diplomacy when it serves Beijing’s material interests (trade deals, mediation and vaccine/aid outreach). The sharpest public evidence that China is behaving undiplomatically are recent highly visible incidents

Image Courtesy: The Quint The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has officially inducted Fujian After extensive trials, China’s third aircraft carrier adding offensive capabilities for Beijing in the Indo Pacific region. 1 Chinese President Xi Jinping boarded the Fujian for an inspection tour in the city of Sanya in southern Hainan province. China is undergoing military modernization under President Xi Jinping, who has sought to challenge the United States' military suprema

Image Courtesy: Brussels Morning Founded in 1923, INTERPOL currently has 196 member states, making it the world’s second-largest international organization after the United Nations. INTERPOL is an essential platform for global law enforcement cooperation. It closely monitors transnational criminal activity including terrorism, cybercrime, and organized crime, and conducts exchanges with law enforcement agencies worldwide through its network of National Central Bureaus. INTERP

Aligning with the world to confront climate risks while energizing broad participation to achieve sustainable development Climate change is rapidly reshaping the global economic structure and risk landscape. Taiwan is not immune to this growing challenge. In the summer of 2025, southern and eastern Taiwan were struck by successive typhoons and torrential rainfall, causing severe flooding in many locations and underscoring the profound effect of extreme climate on regional dev