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Dear Friend,
The Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS) continued its multi-disciplinary research and programme activities on China and East Asia during the month of September.
EVENTS aND Activities
Under the ICS Conversations, an initiative launched last year in collaboration with the India International Centre (IIC), the ICS organized a Conversation titled, Doklam Revisited on 14 September at the IIC. The panellists included Lt. Gen. Praveen Bakshi (former Army Commander, Eastern Command, Indian Army), Lt. Gen. DS Hooda (former Army Commander, Northern Command, Indian Army), Amb. VP Haran (former ambassador to Bhutan and Syria) and myself; Mr. Sushant Singh (Deputy Editor, Indian Express) moderated the session (YouTube) (SoundCloud). The Conversation looked back at the Doklam face-off and its resolution, earlier stand-off situations and also broader issues relating to border management with China. The panellists also addressed the possible diplomatic and military lessons that could be drawn from these incidents and the way forward for the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in border areas while protecting India’s core interests.
The Wednesday Seminars in the month covered the following topics: Party and Prosperity Dreams in Rural China: Poverty Alleviation Campaigns in Yunnan (YouTube) (SoundCloud) by Dr. Ritu Agarwal; Local Environmental Governance and Industrial Development in China (YouTube) (SoundCloud) by Saheli Chattaraj; Foreign NGOs in China: Emerging from the Shadows (YouTube) (SoundCloud) by Santosh Pai; and Islamisation of Xinjiang and the Need for De-radicalisation (SoundCloud) (YouTube) by Bhavna Singh.
Publications
We published six ICS Analyses in this month: China’s South China Sea Strategy by Mr. Saurav Sarkar, Research Assistant, ICS; Shades of India-China Energy Geopolitics: From Petroleum to Renewables by Dr. Nandakumar Janardhanan, Adjunct Fellow, ICS and Assistant Professor, Energy Studies Programme, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Fuelled by FOCAC: China’s Development Cooperation in Africa by Dr. Veda Vaidyanathan, Research Associate, ICS; Unravelling the Micro-History of the Bank of China in India by Dr. Nirmola Sharma, Research Associate, ICS; Belt and Road Initiative: Recent Trends by Gunjan Singh, Research Associate, ICS; and Abe’s Re-election as the Liberal Democratic Party President: Analysing the Process, Outcomes and Challenges Ahead by Shamshad Khan, Visiting Associate Fellow, ICS.
ICS Blogs in this month were: Gwadar, in China-Pakistan Relations by Mr. Saurav Sarkar and Will Mounting Contestations in the Economic Domain Burden Chinese Innovation and Growth? by Research Intern, Mr. Uday Khanapurkar.
In the Media
Amb. Shivshankar Menon, Chairman, ICS Advisory Board and former National Security Advisor, Government of India appeared in the ‘National Security Conversations’ of The Wire, providing his views on different dimensions of India’s national security including relations with China. Amb. Shyam Saran, Member, ICS Governing Council and former Foreign Secretary, Government of India penned a piece in The Hindustan Times on the implications of India’s exit from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). He also reviewed the book, A God in Exile: A Book of Black and White Photographs of Dalai Lama by Raghu Rai, for Business Standard.
ICS Adjunct Fellow Anurag Viswanath did a review of the film, Crazy Rich Asians for The Financial Express. Our Research Associate Ms. Gunjan Singh wrote for Science Technology and Security Forum on Taiwan’s China Dilemma. She also had two pieces in Asia Times - on the situation of China’s Belt and Road Initiative’s situation in South Asia and on Nepal’s recent policy shift towards China. Our Adjunct Fellow Dr. Debasish Chaudhuri had a piece in Hindustan on China’s quest for security in Xinjiang. ICS Honorary Fellow Mr. Ravi Bhoothalingam published his thoughts on China’s Belt and Road Initiative in The Wire. Our Research Assistant Ms. Prarthana Basu had a piece in the International Policy Digest on China’s tryst in the South Pacific islands.
Faculty Updates
Our Chairperson Prof. Patricia Uberoi made a presentation on Yunnan province’s relations with BCIM at an International Conference on Economic Development and Social Change in Yunnan, China, organized by the Centre for East Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University on 25-26 September 2018. Assistant Director, Dr. Madhurima Nundy also had a paper on cross border issues in public health at the same conference. Our Vice Chairperson, Prof. Sreemati Chakrabarti, presented a paper on Cultural and Educational exchanges between India and China at a conference on Future Perspective on India-China Civilizational Interactions organized by Cheena Bhawan, Viswa-Bharati, Santiniketan on 28-29 September. My predecessor and ICS Honorary Fellow, Prof. Alka Acharya and I were on panel for a book discussion on Mr. Avatar Singh Bhasin’s monumental five-volume documentary study on India-China Relations (1947-2000) at IIC on 20 September; ICS Emeritus Fellow Ambassador Kishan Rana chaired this fascinating dialogue.
Manoranjan Mohanty, ICS Honorary Fellow gave a talk on forty years of China's reforms at Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, Odisha on 17 September. Research Associate Dr. Veda Vaidyanathan started her field work in Kenya for her research project on Chinese Infrastructure Development in Africa from 17 September. The fieldwork, which will also extend to Tanzania, will continue till mid-October. Ms. Gunjan Singh, Research Associate, published a brief for Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) on the Evolution of China-Sri Lankan Relations. Research Associate Dr. Shamshad Khan was part of a session on India-Japan relations at the 10th Indo-Japan Dialogue organised by Japan Foundation, New Delhi, on 4 September.
I visited Beijing with an ICWA delegation in late-September for a day-long dialogue with the Chinese People’s Institute for Foreign Affairs. We also had productive meetings with Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou, President CICIR, Vice-President CASS and the Ambassador of India to China.
The ICS Website, Facebook and Twitter accounts are among the several ways you can get the latest on our publications and activities. You can also subscribe our monthly newsletter to follow our events and publications as well as browse our YouTube and SoundCloud channels.
I look forward to seeing you at more of our events.
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