ISDP Voices

In October 2024, reports emerged from Ukraine and South Korea suggesting that North Korean combat troops had been deployed in significant numbers to the Ukraine-Russian front. As of this writing, the North Korean military, or Korean People’s Army (KPA), has integrated troops into the Russian army. This development is alarming but, in one sense, a […]

In February 2021, the Myanmar military overthrew the democratically elected government following an election that signaled a populace increasingly interested in civilian rule. The military installed the State Administration Council (SAC), expecting a compliant citizenry with trouble confined to the border regions. What it encountered was nation-wide resistance. Today, the SAC control less than 50 […]

Introduction As China ramps up its onslaught of pressure on Taiwan, Taipei has increasingly looked beyond its gargantuan oppressor and toward South Asia. India has emerged as an unlikely partner for Taiwan, which has rattled Beijing. So much so that China has labeled India’s support of Taipei as a violation of its ‘One China’ policy […]

BRICS, a coalition of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, recently conducted its 16th Summit on October 22-23, in Kazan, Russia representing over 45 percent of the global population and 28 percent of the world economy. During the Kazan Summit, a significant possibility for South Asian collaboration emerged as India endorsed Pakistan’s prospective membership. […]

Pakistan hosted the twenty-third meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on October 15-16, 2024 in Islamabad. The meeting was held at a time when Pakistan was going through political instability and security threats. Despite these concerns, Islamabad held the SCO summit and hosted leaders from the SCO member-states–—–China, Russia, India, Belarus, Iran, […]

By 2050, Japan’s current population of 122 million is projected to decline to 100 million, while South Korea’s population is expected to decrease from 51.6 million to 46 million. The demographic shifts in both countries are characterized by declining birth rates, rapidly aging populations, and significant gender imbalances in the workforce. These trends have already […]

In the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, religious tensions boiled over this past September. In response to what Hindus claim was an attack on a local businessman by Muslims in the northern city of Shimla, protesters marched in the streets demanding the demolition of a mosque in the Sanjauli area of the city they […]

In looking at external state behavior, the trajectory of a given country’s domestic socio-economic status is a useful barometer in explaining outward vacillations in foreign policy shifts. A notable example in current memory is that of the U.S. and the 2016 election of Donald Trump. As Isabella Rudberg points out, Trump was not averse to […]

The breakaway Georgian territory of Abkhazia has faced political turmoil throughout the summer. The separatist parliament blocked the “Apartment Law,” which would have allowed Russian and foreign citizens to purchase real estate in Abkhazia. This decision, motivated by the fear of Abkhazians becoming a minority, sparked a response from Russia. The Kremlin summoned Abkhazian leader […]

In August 2024, India and Japan held a 2+2 foreign and defense ministers’ meeting in Delhi. The main topic was security and defense issues. Although this was merely the third 2+2 after one that took place in September 2022, there are three reasons why this latest meeting was a historical development. Japan’s Participation in Tarang […]