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The Pulse
South Asia is a story of promise and peril where Asia’s conflicting forces of modernity and reaction meet head on. Home to a multitude of different cultures, ethnicities, and religions, The Diplomat's regional correspondents and experts will provide the insight you need to navigate one of the world's most consequential regions.
No, China Is Not Planning to Spend $58 Billion on a Railway Connection to Pakistan
By Adnan Aamir
On further investigation, the wave of stories about a new breakthrough in the China-Pakistan Railway are based on hot air.
China Strengthens Grip on Sri Lanka’s Colombo Port
By P.K. Balachandran
China Merchant Port Holding Company (CMPH), which already has a dominant presence in Sri Lankan harbors, will be setting up a warehousing hub in Colombo port.
China-Pakistan Ties Steam Ahead With Proposed Rail Project
By Umair Jamal
The $58 billion railway line will link the Pakistani port city of Gwadar with Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang province.
Indian Defense Minister Visits Maldives
By Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan
The Maldives has remained one of India’s key maritime partners in the Indian Ocean neighborhood.
UN Summit in Qatar on Afghanistan Ends, Another Planned
By Lujain Jo
Absent from the meeting were the Taliban themselves, who took over Afghanistan in August 2021.
Can the European Union Tackle Afghanistan’s Crises?
By Rahimullah Kakar
The EU has the capability to take a proactive diplomatic and political stance in managing the impending preventable socioeconomic and politico-security crises in Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Economic Crisis: What Went Wrong?
By Mariyam Suleman Anees
The country is currently running on foreign loans taken on high rates of interest. It will have to repay $80 billion in the coming three years.
What Does India Gain From the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?
By Niranjan Marjani
India sees its SCO membership as a means to increase engagements with the Eurasian region. However, India’s participation has several limitations.
Revival of Militancy in Jammu Worries India’s Security Forces
By Sudha Ramachandran
The hilly and thickly forested region facilitates insurgent activity, while its demography makes it vulnerable to communal tensions.
The SCO Meeting in India: A Chance for India and Pakistan to Turn a New Page?
By Syed Basim Raza
Pakistan’s foreign minister will be traveling to India to attend the summit, making him the first high-ranking Pakistani official to visit India since 2014.
AI Can Be a Gamechanger for Education in India
By Mufsin Puthan Purayil
ChatGPT and similar technologies provide a once in a lifetime opportunity to revamp India’s age-old teaching practices.
China Says India Border Stable, Contrasting With Indian View
By Associated Press
Beijing would like India to put aside the border dispute and normalize relations.