South Asia Center

So why shouldn’t the Trump administration consider expanding its bilateral trade cooperation with India to initiate joint efforts on China, which could parallel existing efforts with the EU and Japan and possibly merge with them over time? Might this approach even lead to a new plurilateral negotiation in the World Trade Organization (WTO) that positions it as the most likely venue for tackling Chinese practices over the longer term?

Yet as negotiators prepare for the final stage of the talks, India’s efforts to advance three new tech policies could emerge as a potential spoiler. Preventing a downward spiral in bilateral trade relations will require India to tread cautiously in its approach to tech policy and delay new measures that would disrupt a trade deal.

After decades of conflict, today there is at least a prospect that a path to peace in Afghanistan might be opened. At the same time, it seems that once again the country is at a crossroads, with its future to be determined by decisions that will be taken in the coming weeks by Afghans, their partners, and their adversaries. Those decisions can set the stage for further success in the hard struggle of the Afghan people and their elected leaders for the better future they are striving for.

President Trump’s sudden withdrawal has opened opportunities for rival powers to exert greater influence in the Middle East and in Afghanistan. Russia and China are swooping in with strategic poise, while Trump’s approach amounts to letting others “fight a little bit.” This is not US leadership, nor will it make the United States safer in an increasingly complex world.

From Imran Khan’s perspective, the issue of Kashmir has not attracted enough international attention. Mediating de-escalation in the Persian Gulf could strengthen his ability to bring more attention to that crisis too.

The announcement of a significant energy MOU on Modi’s visit was a significant step towards meeting India’s growing energy needs.