The most recent round of military hostilities in the India-Pakistan conflict indicates a pattern of enduring hostility, suggesting that the focus remains on confrontation rather than attempting to reconcile past disagreements. The Indus Water Treaty (IWT ) remains one of the major flashpoints in their tenuous history.  Illustration by The Geostrata Signed in 1960  to mediate disputes over the use of the Indus River System, the Treaty allocates limited non-consumptive rights

Held from the 4th of March, 2026 to the 12th, the “Two Sessions” , the annual meeting of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) — the People's Republic of China’s national legislative body  — and the 4th session of the 14th  National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China’s paramount political institution, marked   a critical event in shaping Beijing’s agendas for the year 2026. Illustration by The Geostrata An estimated 5,000

INTRODUCTION: WHY THE SEA MATTERS In nuclear warfare, power hinges not only on the number of weapons that a state possesses, but also their ability to survive enemy attacks and remain effective for counterstrikes. This is where the ocean assumes a decisive role; unlike land-based missile-silos, which can be mapped and targeted, or aircraft’s dependence on vulnerable, visible bases, a nuclear-armed submarine — almost indefinitely concealed and mobile beneath thousands of metre

To understand feminist discourses as they emerge in Chinese cinema, we must begin with an examination of gender discourse in China. Traditionally, Chinese culture was dominated by Confucianism (an ancient Chinese philosophy and ethical system which emphasises social harmony, hierarchy, and duties within relationships), with its codification of social order according to age, gender, and family position. Illustration by The Geostrata A woman was expected to abide by the "Three

Jimmy Lai, the newspaper tycoon of Hong Kong, has been found guilty  and sentenced to 20 years in prison.  This has once again brought the complex and contentious legal and political system of Hong Kong into the forefront. The fact that Lai was granted bail in the early stages of his trial, when the Hong Kong court granted him temporary bail, was seen as a display of the autonomy of the legal system in Hong Kong despite the political pressure from mainland China. Illustration

As BRI completes twelve years since being launched on the 7th of September, 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative ( BRI ) is pivoting towards several strategic transformations in several important aspects, like the international engagements that it seeks to facilitate between its signatories. Illustration by The Geostrata Initially launched with the objective   of ensuring deeper regional integration and cooperation between China and its neighbours, the Belt and Road Initiative

The Siliguri Corridor , a narrow strip of territory, connects mainland India to the entire northeastern region. Situated in northern West Bengal, infamously known as the ‘Chicken’s Neck’, it is India's most vital and vulnerable strategic location. The connectivity of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, and Sikkim with the rest of the country through road, railway, oil pipelines, power lines, as well as troop movement, depends on this corr

Myanmar represents far more than a neighbouring Southeast Asian nation to China; it is a strategically indispensable asset upon which Beijing has constructed an intricate system of economic, military, and political dependency. China, over the years, has increased its role in the nation, especially its hold in Myanmar, which has increased after the military coup of 2021. Illustration by The Geostrata The Chinese have made sure that Myanmar's dependency on them remains intact,

The Blue Shirt Regiment (BSS), also known as the Blue Shirts Society (Lanyishe 蓝衣社), was a nationalist paramilitary organisation in China. It emerged on March 1, 1932, as a faction within the Kuomintang (KMT), the Nationalist Party. The BSS was composed mainly of graduates from the Huangpu (Whampoa) Military Academy, young men aged twenty to thirty, many of whom had overseas education and had pledged unquestioned loyalty to Chiang Kai-shek. Illustration by The Geostrata Accor

The People's Republic of China, founded in 1949, has always had a thirst for power and dominance. In the beginning, while it was protecting and conquering lands, it left the coasts unguarded. A brutal mistake to commit. Illustration by The Geostrata It was only in the late 1970s that Deng Xiaoping's reforms transformed the coast into China’s economic engine. Exports and the presence of ports tied China’s survival to maritime security. Yet, by the 1990s, clashes in the South C

On Thursday, June 29, 2025, a striking video released by China's state broadcaster CCTV caught the attention of military analysts and policymakers worldwide. The video showcased an animated depiction of what appears to be a newly developed graphite bomb - nicknamed a "blackout bomb". This weapon, designed to cripple an adversary's power grid without causing direct physical destruction, underscores China's ongoing efforts to expand its arsenal of non-kinetic warfare tools. Ill

China’s assertion on Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls “Zangnan” (South Tibet), is based on historical ties to Tibet and a rejection of...

‘If China wants Tibet to stay with China, then China must create the necessary conditions for this. The time has come now for the Chinese...

In 1989, American political scientist Francis Fukuyama famously wrote in his essay “ The End of History ? ” that liberal democracy...

The launch of a Chinese-funded airport in Gwadar in Pakistan’s Balochistan province has been delayed due to the coordinated attack by...

The Enduring Legacy of China's Finest Thread is a comprehensive exploration of silk's historical, cultural, and economic significance,...

Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’ recent visit to China and public statements reflect Bangladesh's strategic positioning in...

Afghanistan- a board for great powers to play chess on. A graveyard of empires. A cauldron of mixed ethnicities and rich culture.  In...

The Hundred Days of Reform was during the late Qing dynasty in 1898; this was a notable but brief political and cultural movement in...

The Second Opium War, often referred to as the Arrow War or the Second Anglo-Chinese War, took place between 1856 and 1860. This conflict...