Vivekananda International Foundation | Seeking Harmony in Diversity

Developments in the Indo-Pacific in 2019

The Indo-Pacific as a geo-political idea has been in the currency since the last couple of years. In the year 2019 the idea seems to have gained more acceptance. In some measures, the stakeholders are working towards giving shape to this idea. Some...

January 7 , 2020

Forecast on Developments in the South China Sea in 2019

Looking into 2019, the South China Sea is like a lit fuse which can lead to conflagration without warning. The rhetoric between China and the US is becoming so incandescent that avoidance of a violent naval clash has become a main subject of...

January 5 , 2019

Decoding China’s Stance on South China Sea

China has been looking into formalizing of a Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea (SCS) and seeks a possible long lasting solution to the maritime territorial dispute that persists with its other claimant countries. There have been...

December 18 , 2018

Two Years of PCA Judgement on South China Sea: An Analytical Perspective

On January 22, 2013 the Philippines had instituted an arbitral proceeding against China in the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) under Annex VII of the United Nations Conventions on the Laws of the Seas (UNCLOS) as case number 2013-19. After over...

August 2 , 2018

China-ASEAN Negotiations on Code of Conduct for the South China Sea

It has been reported in the media that China and the ten ASEAN countries have agreed on a single draft of a negotiating text for a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea (SCS). The formal announcement may be made soon. Negotiations on COC will...

August 1 , 2018

Demilitarising the South China Sea: Concerted Efforts Needed

Two of the most important topics during last year’s Shangri La Dialogue were ‘Upholding the rules-based regional order’ and demilitarisation of the South China Sea in the shape of a discussion on practical ‘measures to avoid conflict at sea’. Prime...

May 30 , 2018

Commentary: PLA Navy’s Major Exercise in the South China Sea: An Analytical Perspective

The massive People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy exercises conducted in the second week of April near Hainan and further east, and review of the same by President Xi Jinping come in the wake of evolving strategic situation at the global and regional...

April 19 , 2018

Commentary: China and Philippines Rapprochement: Implications for India

With the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Philippines conducting the second Bilateral Consultation Meeting on the South China Sea, there’s been a range of views on what this could mean for regional stability in the Indo-Pacific. While the USA...

March 6 , 2018

ASEAN’s Centrality and the South China Sea Dispute

The concept of Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) centrality has been much talked about as being one of the most cherished principles of the multilateral organization; however, there is no clear or detailed definition of the term. Yet...

August 8 , 2017

China-US Diplomatic and Security Dialogue

Amid the heightening tension between China and the United States (US) over the Korean issue, on 21 June 2017, the first China-US Diplomatic and Security Dialogue (D&SD) was held at the US State Department in Washington. The D & SD dialogue...

July 6 , 2017