may 2020

Dear Friend,

As India and the rest of the world continues to fight the Covid pandemic, we have maintained a high level of programme and research activities at the Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS), despite odds. The ICS has sustained its remote working and remained steadfast in our endeavour to have informed analysis of China and East Asia. We have made use of digital technology in our outreach and online activities, and organised our Wednesday Seminars in the webinar mode. We have increased our online presence on various social media platforms, including through a partnership with The Print.

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIEs

We had an ICS Conversation featuring Amb. Shivshankar Menon, Chairman, Advisory Board, ICS, and Former National Security Advisor, Government of India, on ‘Looking at the Post-Covid World: The China Dimension’ (SoundCloud) (YouTube), on 6 May 2020. I moderated the session.

Three other webinars were conducted this month on various themes relating to Covid - Mr. Santosh Pai, Honorary Fellow, ICS, and Partner, Link Legal India Law Services, on ‘China’s Post Covid-19 Path to Normalcy: Parallels for India(SoundCloud) (YouTube) on 13 May; Dr. Hemant Adlakha, Honorary Fellow, ICS, and Associate Professor, Centre for Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, on ‘The Fang Fang Phenomenon: Manufacturing Dissent Amid Covid-19 China’ (SoundCloud) (YouTube) on 20 May; and Prof. Rama V. Baru, Professor, Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Honorary Fellow, ICS, Delhi, and Dr. Madhurima Nundy, Assistant Director and Fellow, ICS on ‘Health System Preparedness In China And India’ (SoundCloud) (YouTube) on 27 May.  

PUBLICATIONS

In total, we had 12 publications in May – one Working Paper, three Occasional Papers, three ICS Analyses, and five blogposts in ICS Research Blogs (all available on our website).

Dr. Satya Prakash Dash, Associate Professor, Dept. of Political Science & Public Administration, Sambalpur University contributed an ICS Working Paper on ‘Institutional Framework for Disaster Management in China: Natural to Pandemic’.

The following is the list of Occasional Papers:

  1. Dr. Hemant Adlakha, Honorary Fellow, ICS, and Associate Professor, Centre for Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi on ‘COVID-19, China and Anatomy of Fang Fang Phenomenon’;
  2. Amb. Sujan R. Chinoy, Director General, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi, on ‘US-China Rivalry: A Strategic Moment for India?’; and
  3. Mr. Samanvya Hooda, Research Assistant, ICS on ‘Launch-On-Warning and China’s Nuclear Posture’.

The following is the list of ICS Analyses:

  1. Amb. Bhaskar Balakrishnan, Former Ambassador and Science Diplomacy Fellow, Research and Information Systems for Developing Countries, Delhi on ‘China, WHO and the Covid-19 Pandemic’;
  2. Dr. Sandip Kumar Mishra, Associate Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi on ‘Covid-19 Pandemic and Contextualizing South Korea’s Success’; and
  3. Ms. Priyanka Madia, Research Intern, ICS, Delhi on ‘China’s Belt and Road Initiative: History in the Making’.

The following is the list of blogposts in ICS Research Blogs:

  1. Ms. Priyanka Madia, Research Intern, ICS, on ‘Western Balkans: China’s Gateway to Europe’;
  2. Mr. Mohd. Adnan, Research Intern, ICS, on ‘Contemporary Dynamics of Sino-Japanese Relations’; and ‘Amid the Covid-19 Pandemic: Assessing US-China Relations';
  3. Ms. Tanishka, Research Intern, ICS, on ‘China-Solomon Islands: An Overview of a Brand New Friendship’; and
  4. Ms. Sanjana Krishnan, Research Intern, ICS, on ‘The Malacca Dilemma: No Panacea but Multiple Possibilities’.

IN THE MEDIA

Amb. Shyam Saran, Member, Governing Council, ICS, and Former Foreign Secretary, Government of India, spoke on the tension between India and China along the Line of Actual Control for India Today TV on 27 May. He was also on a podcast by the Centre for Policy Research on whether the Pandemic will lead to a shift in the Global Order? on 19 May. He authored two pieces – for the Times of India on ‘Chinese reaction may be a warning so that India sides with it on Covid on 24 May and for the Business Standard on ‘China’s digital currency moves’ on 13 May.

Amb. Shivshankar Menon, Chairman, ICS Advisory Board, and former National Security Advisor, Government of India, authored a paper for Brookings India on 3 May titled ‘India’s Foreign Affairs Strategy’.

Prof. Sreemati Chakrabarti, Honorary Fellow, ICS participated in a discussion on NDTV on ‘India-China Stand-Off: Signs of De-Escalation?’ on 28 May.

I spoke to The Wire on ‘India-China Skirmishes Cause for Concern’ on 26 May  and India Today, on India-China Standoff: Will this diffuse or escalate’ on 25 May. I also gave two interviews for The Print - on the issues with Nepal with regard to maps on 21 May and on the importance India-China Special Representatives Talks in maintaining the peace on 26 May. I had other media engagements.

Mr. Ravi Bhoothalingam, Honorary Fellow, ICS, spoke on ‘India-China relations post-Covid: A Psychoeconomic Assessment for SpeakIn Bureau on 14 May.

Dr. Rajiv Ranjan, Adjunct Fellow, ICS, had a piece in the Hindi daily, Prabhat Khabar, on the Chinese economy in the backdrop of the pandemic, 7 May.

Dr. Zorawar Daulet Singh, Adjunct Fellow, ICS, spoke on the theme ‘Making sense of India-China border tensions for In Focus podcast by The Hindu on 20 May.

Dr. P.K. Anand, Research Associate, ICS wrote on the 'invisibility' of migrant workers in Indian and Chinese cities for Moneycontrol.com on 21 May.

Faculty updates 

Prof. Sreemati Chakrabarti, Honorary Fellow, ICS, and Editor, China Report, spoke on ‘Chinese Nationalism and its Dilemmas’ in a webinar organized by the Association of Asia Scholars, New Delhi on 26 May. Prof. Chakrabarti also gave a presentation on ‘Apprehensions and Hopes in India-China Relations in the Post-Covid Era’ in in an online workshop on 'The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on the International Order and Sino-Indian Relations’, organized by the Institute of South Asian Studies, Sichuan University. Prof. Manmohan Agarwal, Adjunct Fellow, ICS, and formerly Professor, Centre for International Trade and Development, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, published an article titled ‘Crypto Currencies: Three Questionsin RIS Policy Brief (No. 91). My speaking engagements included events hosted by the Indian Council of World Affairs and Vivekananda International Foundation.

The ICS Website, Facebook and Twitter accounts are among the several ways you can get the latest on our publications and activities. You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter to follow our events and publications as well as browse our YouTube and SoundCloud channels.

We look forward to your participation in our events and activities in the coming days and hope for your continued support. 

 
 
 

Best regards,
ASHOK K. KANTHA
Director
Institute of Chinese Studies

 

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