ISDP Voices

The growing U.S.-China great power rivalry, and volatile security environment around East Asia make this region a complex one. China’s expansionist behavior, the Taiwan Strait crisis and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions have given rise to difficult situations in the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific region. Amidst the adverse security environment and strained relationships, China, […]

India’s centrality in the Indo-Pacific region received a thrust with the recent signing of a ten-year- agreement between New Delhi and Tehran over the operation of Iran’s Chabahar port. The development of the port and its associated infrastructure with an investment of $370 million is being viewed as New Delhi’s attempt to counterbalance China’s encirclement […]

Since Russia’s aggression in Ukraine started in February 2022, international politics have changed. The ongoing war continues to bring change and upheaval to the world order. Thus, it is logical that we should ask what kind of world will develop if the war continues. This blog analyzes the topic through three questions: What outcome can […]

In the rapidly evolving landscapes of geopolitics and technology, global powerhouses are making substantial strides to secure their dominance in these emerging technologies. Amidst the intense U.S.-China competition to become leaders in science and technology, South Korea has heavily invested in strategic technologies, driven by the government’s ambition to become a ‘global pivotal state’ in […]

Between June 6-9, 373 million voters across 27 member-states will head to the polls to elect 720 lawmakers to the European Parliament. In turn, those lawmakers will vote for the next EU Commission for the coming five years. Having announced her candidacy in February, incumbent Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (VDL) is vying for […]

On May 16, 2024, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping set a new record by concluding their 43rd meeting, marking the 75-year anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic relations. The meeting witnessed affirmation of the ‘comprehensive partnership’ and ‘strategic cooperation’ between the two sides and a reiteration of their mutual contempt for “closed-door military and political alliances” led […]

Introduction UNCTAD’s Global Investment Trends Monitor published in January 2024 indicates that over the years, global capital flows in FDI have been experiencing an uncomfortable buoyancy. Global economic uncertainty and vulnerability accentuated by a changing geopolitical landscape have resurfaced the need to diversify concentrated country risk, particularly in global supply chains. Countries across the globe […]

Since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, a pivotal event that has significantly influenced global politics, the world has witnessed a notable shift in the relationship between Kim Jong Un’s North Korea and Vladimir Putin’s Russia. The more on-and-off relationship has turned into a much more stable interaction. The year 2023 […]

The return of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Pakistan in October 2023 from self-exile in London raised many expectations. However, neither did Nawaz Sharif become the Prime Minister after the general elections in February 2024, though his party leads the government, nor has Pakistan left any stone unturned in raising the Kashmir issue—something that […]

Semiconductors are indisputably strategic commodities today and serve as the foundation for an array of both critical and emerging technologies. Semiconductors pose a dilemma between economic gain and security risk due to their importance in both civilian and military products. Semiconductor Global Value Chains (GVCs) are dominated by the U.S., Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Europe, […]