Vivekananda International Foundation | Seeking Harmony in Diversity

Assessment of Chinese Military Modernisation and Its Implications for India

Ever since its creation, China has been claiming territories of numerous countries. There have been wars and clashes, and the usual tone of policy statements has remained assertive. After annexing Tibet the Communist China has described China as a palm with Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Arunachal and Ladakh as the country`s five fingers. It is pertinent to note that some maps have even shown Assam and the Andaman Islands as a part of China.

July 16, 2019 Books/Book Review

Understanding China’s Belt and Road Initiative

The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organised a seminar on 8 April, 2019, on ‘Understanding China’s Belt and Road Initiative’. The deliberations were divided in three broad themes: Aims and Drivers of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI); Belt and Road Initiative and Regional Perspective; and India’s approach to Belt and Road Initiative. Dr. Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF delivered the opening remarks. Amb. Ashok Kantha, Mr. Jayadeva Ranade, Prof. Sujit Dutta, Dr. Pankaj Jha, Mr. Sushant Sareen, Dr. Sreeradha Datta, Amb. D.P Srivastava, Amb. Anil Wadhwa, Dr. Ruchita Beri, Amb. Arun K.

July 11, 2019 Event Report

Interaction with the Visiting Chinese Delegation led by Amb Yang Yanyi

The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) hosted a Chinese delegation led by Amb. Yang Yanyi, (Former Head of the Chinese Mission to the European Union). She was accompanied by Mr Zhu Feng, Executive Director of China Center for Collaborative Studies of the South China Sea, Nanjing University, Mr Luo Yi, Deputy Division Director, the Department of Asian Affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Ms Chen Xiaoli, Second Secretary, the Department of Policy Planning of MFA. Lt Gen Ravi Sawhney presided over the interaction.

July 10, 2019 Event Report

India’s Defence Cooperation with South East Asian Countries: Need for Proactive and Substantive Action

Brig Vinod Anand, Senior Fellow, VIF

… with the global and regional dynamics remaining in a state of flux it should be India’s effort to build on the existing defence and security relationships .. as also strive to enhance such an engagement with other members of ASEAN whose interests are more inclined towards China or elsewhere... most of these nations see India as somewhat of a benign balancer in the South East Asian region …

July 05, 2019 Paper

Interaction with the Ambassador Gonchig Ganbold

The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) hosted the Ambassador of Mongolia, Gonchig Ganbold on 26 June 2019. Dr Arvind Gupta delivered the welcome remarks. In his remarks, he emphasized the cultural and historical linkages between both sides.

July 04, 2019 Event Report

Interaction with the Delegation from the Prospect Foundation

The Vivekananda International Foundation hosted a delegation from the Prospect Foundation, Taipei led by Dr Mark Tan-sun Chen. The other members of the delegation were Dr Joanne Jaw-ling Chang Chyou, Dr Arthur Shufan Ding, Dr Ming-fang Tsai, Dr Mei-fong Huang, The Prospect Foundation and Ms Yueh-wen Chen. Dr Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF delivered the opening remarks and presided over the session.

June 18, 2019 Event Report

Seminar on ‘Shipping, Ship-ownership and Shipbuilding in India: Policies, Praxis and Prospects’

A seminar was organised on the above topic on May 16, 2019 at the Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi. It was a sequel to ongoing discussions on the need for greater impetus on the shipping, ship-ownership and shipbuilding sector of India. Concept Note

June 13, 2019 Event Report

Talk by H.E. Sidharto Suryodipuro, Ambassador of Indonesia to India

On 27th May Vivekanand International Foundation hosted the Ambassador of Indonesia to New Delhi, H.E. Sidharto Suryodhipuro. The Ambassador delivered a talk on ‘Indonesia and the Indo-Pacific’. The gist of his talk is given in the succeeding paragraphs.

June 09, 2019 Event Report

China’s Great Leap Forward-II, by Lt Gen Gautam Bannerjee, PVSM, AVSM, YSM (Retired), Lancer Publishers & Distributors, New Delhi, India, 152 pages, INR 595/-, 2019

Maj Gen (Retd.) P K Chakravorty

The Great Leap Forward was a campaign run in the People’s Republic of China from 1958 to 1962. Chairman Mao Zedong led the campaign and the aim was to transform an agricultural economy to a socialist society through rapid industrialisation and collectivisation. It led to an economic and social disaster. The policies marginalised Mao, compelling him to launch the Cultural Revolution in 1966 to re-establish his supremacy. Ultimately China stabilised after Mao’s death and Deng Xiaopingcoming to power as the supreme leader of People’s Republic of China.

May 31, 2019 Books/Book Review

China-India Interaction from Bilateral to Regional Level, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China

The Center for South Asia-West China Cooperation and Development Studies (SAWCCAD) and the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, organised a conference on ‘China-India Interaction: From Bilateral to Regional Level’ on 25 April 2019. The participants from India were Amb. Sujan R Chinoy and Dr. Jagannath P. Panda from the Institute of Defence and Strategic Analysis, Dr. Teshu Singh from Vivekananda Internal Foundation and Dr. Lydia Powell from Observer Research Foundation. The Chinese side was represented by Dr.

May 07, 2019 Event Report