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
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: ABC News The Arctic is a polar region located at the northernmost point of Earth. What was once a frozen wasteland is now a geopolitical hotspot. The 2009 US Geological Survey report raised global interest in the region. It estimated that the region holds 13 per cent of untapped oil and 30 per cent of the world’s natural gas. The report raised global interest in the region. Subsequently, the People’s Republic of China released its Arctic policy document in 201
Image Courtesy: Peace for Asia Water has become a source of peace and conflict all over the world. It is calculated that by 2030 the total freshwater will be available only to 60% of the world population and South Asia will be a major region that will severely suffer from water scarcity. Even though the mighty Himalayas are a source of many of the transboundary rivers in South Asia such as Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra, due to climate change, countries like India, Pakistan, N
Image Courtesy: The Atlantic Introduction The Red Sea is one of the world's most important trade routes, with its southern tip in the Bab el-Mandeb strait (between Yemen and Djibouti) and its northern edge in the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aqaba (Shay, 2023). The area serves as a gateway to world energy supplies and trade. The Republic of Djibouti is geographically located at the crossroads of Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Its access is pivotal to China's policy to
Image Courtesy: The Guardian When Donald Trump announced that the G2 would convene shortly, it seemed as though the Thucydides Trap that had defined Sino-American relations for decades had suddenly loosened its grip, challenging decades of scholarship predicting inevitable confrontation between a rising power and an established hegemon. Amid years of escalating rivalry, trade wars, technological decoupling, and accusations of authoritarianism versus democratic decline, the no