Trump or not, it’s Washington’s way or Huawei
by Rashmee
Posted on February 18, 2020
If there’s anything that the Munich Security Conference cleared up, it’s this: Donald Trump or not, Washington’s hard line on Chinese firm Huawei will stay. Which means the US will continue to view with disfavour any country that avails of Huawei’s technology. (Boris Johnson had better be listening. By all accounts, Huawei is the reason … Continue reading “Trump or not, it’s Washington’s way or Huawei”
Read MoreBird flu. SARS. Coronavirus. Why do so many diseases start in China?
by Rashmee
Posted on February 11, 2020
More than 30 years ago, there was bird flu. In 2003, it was SARS. And now, Coronavirus. Why do so many diseases start in China? It’s a question worth asking now that scientists are suggesting that the world’s only scaly mammal, the pangolin, may have been the intermediate host that transmitted coronavirus from bats to humans. … Continue reading “Bird flu. SARS. Coronavirus. Why do so many diseases start in China?”
Read MoreThe great game…in Africa
by Rashmee
Posted on February 10, 2020
Europe is fighting hard to be relevant to Africa, its nearest continental neighbour. Today (Feb. 10) is the Africa Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia and AU headquarters. And it’s drawn European Council president Charles Michel – he’s been in Addis since Sunday – for some two dozen bilateral meetings with African … Continue reading “The great game…in Africa”
Read MoreThe Asian footprint (or perhaps that should read foodprint) is pronounced in Vancouver
by Rashmee
Posted on February 1, 2020
In most of my time in Vancouver, I ate richly and well of the foods of different countries in Asia. The first night was Vietnamese. The second day was Chinese (dim sum) and Japanese (sushi). There was “Indian Chinese” on day three and Indian Punjabi (chole bhature) on day four. And so it went. The … Continue reading “The Asian footprint (or perhaps that should read foodprint) is pronounced in Vancouver”
Read MoreBritish Columbia’s ‘first Indian-Chinese restaurant’ proudly serves up desi fare
by Rashmee
Posted on January 31, 2020
The sign outside the Green Lettuce, on Kingsway in eastern Vancouver, says it all: “Desi Chinese”. (Look to the far right on the red strip under the yellow shop sign.) Extraordinary, I thought. In India, where all the Chinese food on offer is “Indian Chinese”, they don’t describe it that way. But they’re doing … Continue reading “British Columbia’s ‘first Indian-Chinese restaurant’ proudly serves up desi fare”
Read MoreNato is not threatened by Macron’s call for strategic clarity but by the values gap with Turkey
by Rashmee
Posted on January 20, 2020
I’m with Peter Ricketts on NATO. The man who served as the UK’s permanent representative to the defense alliance from 2003 to 06, has said (paywall) that Emmanuel Macron’s doubts deserve a sensible and measured response. That is entirely true. Instead of rebukes from Donald Trump and Angela Merkel, Mr Macron’s attempt to force attention … Continue reading “Nato is not threatened by Macron’s call for strategic clarity but by the values gap with Turkey”
Read MoreLeaders for life are as creative as novelists. They engage in world-building
by Rashmee
Posted on January 17, 2020
On Wednesday (Jan. 15) Russia’s president Vladimir Putin offered an apparently new tactic of democratic deconstruction or what scholars call constitutional regression. He raised the profile of a previously little-known body, the State Council, and suggested Russian presidents shouldn’t have as much authority as once they did. This raises the possibility that Mr Putin will … Continue reading “Leaders for life are as creative as novelists. They engage in world-building”
Read MoreThe US and China are battling over a geographical concept
by Rashmee
Posted on January 15, 2020
To no one’s surprise, China doesn’t admit to being part of the “Indo-Pacific”. The strategy has potential – as well as its perils. Consider this. In the past decade, Indo-Pacific has become an established political and strategic concept for Australia, India, Japan and the United States. In the Trump era, the term “free and open … Continue reading “The US and China are battling over a geographical concept”
Read MoreRaisina Dialogue 2020 is a nod to multi-alignment
by Rashmee
Posted on January 14, 2020 / The National
Today, exactly 11 days after the targeted US strike on Iran’s top general Qassem Suleimani, Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif will be under the same patch of New Delhi sky and talking to the same people as US deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger and senior US diplomat Alice Wells. That is reassuring, after fears … Continue reading “Raisina Dialogue 2020 is a nod to multi-alignment”
Read MoreHas the West lost it? A ‘3M’ strategy for the Asian century
by Rashmee
Posted on December 29, 2019
To prevent the West from losing it, the West needs to adopt a 3M strategy: minimalist, multilateralist and Machiavellian. That’s according to Singapore’s veteran diplomat Kishore Mahbubani. I’ve followed Mr Mahbubani’s work and pronouncements over the years, and recently, he was particularly persuasive in conversation with Gideon Rachman, the FT’s chief foreign affairs columnist. This … Continue reading “Has the West lost it? A ‘3M’ strategy for the Asian century”
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Rashmee has lived and worked in several countries in the past decade, including Afghanistan, India, Haiti, Tunisia, the UAE, US and UK