ISDP Voices

    EU Elections 2024: Redrawing the Chessboard

    The post-election horse-trading for policy concessions and high posts in Brussels is in full swing, reflecting the new balance of power in the EU Parliament for the coming five years. The conservative European People’s Party (EPP) has remained the largest grouping in the parliament, while the liberal Renew Europe (RE) and the Greens/EFA lost ground, […]

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    China-Japan-South Korea Trilateral Summit: Redefining Partnerships

    The growing U.S.-China great power rivalry, and volatile security environment around East Asia make this region a complex one. China’s expansionist behavior, the Taiwan Strait crisis and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions have given rise to difficult situations in the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific region. Amidst the adverse security environment and strained relationships, China, […]

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    India’s Growing ‘Port’ Print in Indo-Pacific

    India’s centrality in the Indo-Pacific region received a thrust with the recent signing of a ten-year- agreement between New Delhi and Tehran over the operation of Iran’s Chabahar port. The development of the port and its associated infrastructure with an investment of $370 million is being viewed as New Delhi’s attempt to counterbalance China’s encirclement […]

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    South Korea’s Strategic Shortfall in the Semiconductor and AI Race

    In the rapidly evolving landscapes of geopolitics and technology, global powerhouses are making substantial strides to secure their dominance in these emerging technologies. Amidst the intense U.S.-China competition to become leaders in science and technology, South Korea has heavily invested in strategic technologies, driven by the government’s ambition to become a ‘global pivotal state’ in […]

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    Will Ursula von der Leyen Get a Second Term?

    Between June 6-9, 373 million voters across 27 member-states will head to the polls to elect 720 lawmakers to the European Parliament. In turn, those lawmakers will vote for the next EU Commission for the coming five years. Having announced her candidacy in February, incumbent Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (VDL) is vying for […]

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    75 Years of China-Russia Relations: Indeed a ‘No Limits’ Partnership

    On May 16, 2024, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping set a new record by concluding their 43rd meeting, marking the 75-year anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic relations. The meeting witnessed affirmation of the ‘comprehensive partnership’ and ‘strategic cooperation’ between the two sides and a reiteration of their mutual contempt for “closed-door military and political alliances” led […]

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    Making the Most of FDI

    Introduction UNCTAD’s Global Investment Trends Monitor published in January 2024 indicates that over the years, global capital flows in FDI have been experiencing an uncomfortable buoyancy. Global economic uncertainty and vulnerability accentuated by a changing geopolitical landscape have resurfaced the need to diversify concentrated country risk, particularly in global supply chains. Countries across the globe […]

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