NDTV | Opinion: Inside China's 'Low-Cost' Arms Exports, Serving Everyone From Pak To West Africa

China's arms exports to Pakistan are one part of a complex military production, export, and diplomacy ecosystem that Beijing has built. Over the years, China has focused on becoming self-reliant in the defence manufacturing domain. This process has included making export variants of major weapons. That said, there are challenges that China faces in its defence export agenda. These include political issues and quality-related concerns that make Beijing the lesser-preferred option over the world's top three defence exporters: the US, Russia, and France. Nonetheless, China's defence export market is expanding. And this has significant implications for India.

By Anushka Saxena and Manoj Kewalramani

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The Hindu | The political deadlock in Taiwan

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s biggest policymaking hurdle has been that his party had failed to achieve a majority in the Legislative Yuan, with the opposition KMT winning 52 seats out of the 113 parliamentary seats. Subsequently, the KMT has blocked vital steps to secure Taiwan’s internal democratic and legal processes.

By Anushka Saxena

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MoneyControl | Invisibilising Taiwan

A flawed interpretation of a UN General Assembly resolution has allowed multilateral bodies such as the WHO to keep Taiwan from contributing to its work in full measure. Individual countries, too, have used this resolution to limit engagement with Taiwan. To counter China’s influence, Taiwan has to expand its diplomatic outreach to ensure it’s not shut out.

By Anushka Saxena

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The Indian Express | BRI’s debt trap and China’s expanding footprint

When Beijing’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) marked its decadal milestone in October 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping said, “Viewing others’ development as a threat or taking economic interdependence as a risk will not make one’s own life better or speed up one’s development.” However, instead of mutually-beneficial interdependence, China today has managed to make 140 countries highly asymmetrically dependent on it for economic investment and trade. Many of these dependencies are a result of the over $1.175 trillion worth of construction contracts and non-financial investments Beijing has undertaken under the BRI. Now, analysts suggest that loans to the tune of a whopping $35 billion may be up for repayment in 2025, and most countries affected are financially vulnerable, developing economies.

By Anushka Saxena

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The National Interest | 'Indian Threat', '1962 War': How Chinese 'Experts' Are Batting For Pak Over India (Copy)

India and Pakistan are embroiled in hostilities in the aftermath of a terror attack on civilians in Pahalgam, Kashmir on April 22. India’s military response is the result of Pakistan’s military-jihadi complex perpetrating terrorism and discord in Kashmir. With Operation Sindoor, India has set a new normal by expanding the scale of its response to terrorism. This includes moving beyond Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and terror camps and sites to striking targets closer to military installations across Pakistan. 

By Anushka Saxena

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NDTV | 'Indian Threat', '1962 War': How Chinese 'Experts' Are Batting For Pak Over India

In the aftermath of the terror attack on civilians in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiankun commented that Beijing firmly opposes all forms of terrorism. And yet, China's posturing around the state of India-Pakistan relations has largely stuck to three assertions, which express its implicit support for Pakistan's position. 

By Anushka Saxena

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ThinkChina | Xi’s purge: Can a divided army fight?

The absence of CMC Vice-Chairman He Weidong raises questions on the stability of the Chinese PLA. As Beijing continues to emphasise “actual” combat preparedness and turn the heat on Taiwan, there is little scope for a military that cannot win a conflict it promises to.

By Anushka Saxena

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Indian Express | China is turning the heat on Taiwan

Since the inception of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Lai Ching-te’s presidency in Taiwan, China’s policy signalling vis-à-vis the island has become much harsher and more aggressive. China’s stance on Taiwan has taken a more urgent and assertive turn in recent months. The unveiling of the new Shuiqiao amphibious vessels at Zhanjiang port in Guangdong, coupled with heightened activity and aggressive posturing by the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command — including the recent Strait Thunder 2025A exercises — signals a sharpened focus on readiness and control. At the same time, internal probes into top military figures such as Central Military Commission (CMC) Vice-Chairman He Weidong, former Political Work Department head Miao Hua, and Eastern Theater Commander Lin Xiangyang have effectively dismantled what was known as the “Taiwan-Fujian” faction within China’s military leadership. Adding to the sense of impending conflict, some outlets, citing unnamed intelligence sources, have suggested that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could occur within six months — further fueling anxiety and speculation.

By Anushka Saxena

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Indian Express | Black Sea Deal: Is it the beginning of the end for the Russia-Ukraine War?

With the new agreement brokered by the US, it is expected that even if not permanent, a long-term ceasefire in the Black Sea will finally allow for freedom of navigation and continuation of trade and commercial shipping. However, this time around, Russia, too, has learned its lesson, and has demanded that Western sanctions on its participation in global agricultural and fertiliser supply chains be immediately lifted, and a sanctioned Russian Bank be connected to the SWIFT international payment system – only then will it see the terms of the agreement through.

By Anushka Saxena

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Life of Soldiers | Anti-Submarine Warfare: Doctrine and Capabilities of the PLA Navy

At the recently concluded Zhuhai Airshow in Guangdong, China, a new unmanned combat vessel of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), the ORCA, made its debut as part of the Asian giant’s naval arsenal. As official sources highlighted, this 500-tonne displacement high-speed stealth unmanned surface combat vessel, equipped with a diesel-electric dual-mode propulsion system, is capable of performing a host of tasks including Beyond-Visual-Range (BVR) fire strike, and air and missile defense. But perhaps what is most interesting, is its reported ability to perform anti-submarine search and strike autonomously. If true, the PLAN may just be ushering in a transformed era for China’s undersea warfare capabilities.

By Anushka Saxena

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Hindustan Times | Power shifts in China’s defence establishment

Xi’s anti-corruption campaign aims to consolidate power and ensure loyalty within the PLA but has inadvertently exposed factional divides.

By Anushka Saxena

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The Times of India | One story, two endings, two countries

With the India-China patrolling agreement in eastern Ladakh holding up so far – both sides are carrying out verification patrols – following Modi and Xi’s meeting on the sidelines of Brics summit in Kazan, the optimistic developments along LAC are dominating the airwaves. But as welcome as such an agreement may be, it isn’t the complete reality of the India-China relationship. There is, in fact, a more systemic rift still visible in bilateral ties – one that has perhaps gone unnoticed in the wake of the patrolling agreement.

By Anushka Saxena

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Life of Soldiers | ‘Integration’ in the PLA Western Theater Command: Practices and Patterns

Since wide-sweeping reforms of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) began in 2015, efforts of the country’s defence apparatus are oriented towards creating an “integrated” force capable of fighting and winning “high intensity, short duration, localised wars.” Integration has been focal to prepare for achieving the intended goal, and has manifested itself in both doctrine and real-time combat preparedness exercises. In the Western Theater Command of the PLA, which has a primary operation direction towards India, requirements to make integration a reality are reflected, too.

By Anushka Saxena

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The Quint | A Partner in Taiwan

India welcomed a third representative office from Taiwan in Mumbai despite China’s efforts to undermine the latter.

By Anushka Saxena

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Money Control | China-Taiwan Tensions: A shift in cross-Strait policy language

China's military exercises highlight regional tensions as Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te asserts sovereignty. His recent remarks signal a policy shift, encouraging potential cooperation with Beijing, despite ongoing tensions. Lai’s statements challenge China’s role as a peace broker in global conflicts.

By Anushka Saxena

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Australian Strategic Policy Institute | What we can tell from China’s ICBM test

China’s decision to test an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific Ocean on 25 September was unusual—but not very unusual, because the country has similarly tested shorter-range ballistic missiles over a variety of geographies.

By Anushka Saxena

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The Quint | One Year On, Should India Revisit its Drone Components Ban?

Over 70 percent of the materials crucial to India’s drone manufacturing assembly lines have been produced in China.

By Anushka Saxena & Satya S Sahu

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Deccan Herald | Why a China-US thaw may not be in India’s economic interests

India now finds itself in a unique position, with the ability to leverage its relationship with the US to seek concessions.

By Anushka Saxena

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The Hindu | The continuing churn in the Chinese military

The changes in the military leadership have shown up the faultlines in the reform vision

By Anushka Saxena

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First Post | South China Sea: How growing Chinese assertiveness finds strong Philippine response

Beijing must prepare to face a vehement and assertive Manila, which can no longer be manipulated by a simple carrots and sticks approach.

By Anushka Saxena

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