An Indo-Pakistan conflict was prevented from turning into full blown war by China and other countries. However, the threat for future conflict between both countries lingers on.

As the role of the United States in the international community grows increasingly isolationist -- and President Trump remains a vocal critic of international aid and development programs -- some countries are looking to Beijing in hopes of securing fast financing for infrastructure development projects. However, as the authors of the report warn, many of China’s loans are given under less-stringent conditions than more-established Western multinational lending institutions such as the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund.

South Asia has been given a big role in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The countries there, however, show varying degrees of enthusiasm for the plan.

As Thailand and much of Asia welcomes more and more visitors from China, the region’s leaders and policymakers must take steps toward a more sustainable tourism industry and accelerate supporting infrastructure. Ensuring tourism is a sustainable driver of economic growth will require much more than sustained support for even the best marketing campaigns.

President Xi Jinping’s latest trip to Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt point to the broader Chinese ambitions in the Middle East, a region where political turmoil and Russia’s military intervention in Syria are already altering the delicate balance of power. Only sustained pressure can persuade Beijing that its future lies in cooperation and not confrontation.

Under Xi, China has moved to a proactive posture to shape its external security environment, using trade and investment to expand its sphere of strategic influence while simultaneously asserting territorial and maritime claims against its neighbors. The Maritime Silk Road project is driven by his belief that the maritime domain holds the key to China achieving preeminence in Asia.

As China’s economy slows and major U.S. corporations increasingly are moving operations to other parts of Asia, despite the geopolitical risks in other emerging economies. U.S. investment in Southeast Asia surpasses its investment in Brazil, Russia, India and China combined. Curtis China and Jose Collazo discuss the best practices for diversifying Asian investment.

Andrew Small’s new book on China-Pakistan relations is a very significant new revelation on a relationship that has been primarily strategic and military-based since its beginnings. The Karakoram Highway, which connects the two countries, has very little economic value and increasingly “Talibinization” has become a concern for Beijing, which may see its ally as a strategic counter to India’s eminence.

Despite a rebalancing of the United States and China, Bangladesh’s ever-modernizing economy is anxious about the future.

The victory of Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) – Pakistan is likely to be more focused on economic development in the future, thanks to the transformative campaign of Imran Khan and his Tehrik-e-Insat (PTI) party. That, in turn, has substantial implications over U.S. and Chinese interests in South Asia.