“The conqueror shall always endeavour to add to his own power and to weaken that of the enemy." - Kautilya, Arthashastra, Book VI In April 2026, the world witnessed another display of unapologetic power when the Dragon decided to cloak the mouth of the Scarborough Shoal with fleeting barriers and ships. What comes as a shock is how this act contradicts the UNCLOS and the Permanent Court of Arbitration's ruling that the shoal is well within the Philippines' Exclusive Econo

On April 23, 2026, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) commemorated the 77th founding anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), celebrating nearly eight decades of technological innovation and strategic reach that have defined its naval history since 1949. In the late 1970s, Deng Xiaoping’s reforms transformed China’s coast into an export- driven economic engine, making maritime security vital for national survival. Illustration by The Geostrata Following the

US President Donald Trump is set to visit China from May 13 to 15 for the Trump-Xi Summit, amid recent tensions on tariffs, the US’s sanctions on five Chinese refineries for purchasing Iranian oil and the new Chinese anti-sanctions law asserting that these sanctions “shall not be recognised, enforced or complied with”. Illustration by The Geostrata Although President Trump sought to ease these tensions with his new Board of Trade proposal to resolve trade-related issues and p

The Indo-Pacific region has emerged as the world’s new centre of gravity. Hosting nearly half of the world’s population and nearly two-thirds of the world's economy, the region’s stability is now synonymous with global prosperity. For decades, the Pacific region was seen primarily as a zone of economic cooperation, but it has now emerged as a critical theater for great power rivalry. Intensifying competition between the United States and China has transformed the region into

The ocean has always represented a kind of duality for India: it has offered far-reaching opportunities while exposing subtle weaknesses. The extent of India’s maritime footprint, with 7,516 kilometres of coastline and more than 2.4 million sq kilometres of Exclusive Economic Zone, dwarfs India’s landmass. While the Indian Ocean Region holds strategic significance for India, it also represents the economic lifeblood of the world. Approximately 40% of the physical oil trade a

The India-ASEAN narrative has evolved from a position of optimism in 2017 as the dialogue partnership turned 25, to a narrative of resurgence in 2022, and finally, the narrative of strategic repositioning and imperative reclamation as of today. What started as an executionary mechanism to India’s Look East Policy has now given rise to a regional partnership that has withstood geopolitical tremors and a systemic dismantling of the global order.

Security and strategy have been the guiding principles in today’s geopolitical scenario. The ASEAN, or Association of Southeast Asian Nations, has been at the forefront of ensuring a secure and stable world. At the core of it lies a critical region, the Indo-Pacific. The Indo-Pacific has been witnessing an evolving nature of geopolitics and is significant for regional groupings like ASEAN and QUAD. Illustration by The Geostrata The QUAD, comprising the United States, India, A

July 2024 marked the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s unshakable regime, but also the beginning of a recalibration that is still unfolding. Illustration by The Geostrata Following the exit of Hasina, who was regarded as the architect of Bangladesh’s non-aligned foreign policy, what appears to be unfolding is a deliberate shift from a peripheral focus to a more region-centric posture of Dhaka's foreign policy. From allowing a Chinese-funded port project near St. Martin’s Island to

The rise of high-technology industries has fundamentally reshaped the balance of global economic and political power. Semiconductors, data centre infrastructure, and underwater submarine cables have become the strategic lifelines of the modern economy. Yet, these supply chains are highly vulnerable to geopolitical tensions, economic coercion, and military conflict, especially in Asia, where the United States and China are locked in an intensifying rivalry. Cover by The Geostr

India's maritime policy is experiencing a robust transformation that now emphasises technological innovations, smart diplomacy, and regional leadership. India is expanding its reach from coastal defence to the entire Indo-Pacific region through contemporary definitions of maritime power grounded on Artificial Intelligence and multilateralism. Cover by The Geostrata India's maritime policy reflects its maritime aspirations, with doctrines like SAGAR and the Indo-Pacific Oceans

“Only the dead have seen the end of war,” famously remarked General Douglas MacArthur, attributing this quotation to ancient Greek philosopher Plato in his farewell address to the graduating class of West Point in 1962, highlighting the intertwined nature of the growth of human civilisation and the inalienable role of conflict between humans. The foundation of the realist school of international relations is augmented by this belief. Cover by The Geostrata Realists believe th

2025 sets the stage to address various challenges with shifting power dynamics, fragmented alliances, unresolved conflicts, and...

India's geostrategic posture in the Indian Ocean Region is an integral part of its defense umbrella, especially in India-China relations....

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

We live in times when the global community stands at an inflexion point in history. The world is witnessing a tectonic shift in global...

Military diplomacy is the peaceful use of military capabilities and resources to pursue the objective, i.e. a nation’s foreign policy...

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and India share several commonalities of interests and threats and, therefore, have tremendous...

“You can change your friends but not your neighbours,” quoted by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is a truism in international relations....

On September 6, 2024, the Geostrata had the privilege of interviewing Ms Caroline Rowett, the British Deputy High Commissioner,...

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), established in 1949, initially conceptualised to deter Soviet expansionism and encourage...