Dr. Prashant Kumar Singh follows the strategic and domestic affairs of China. He is also a keen follower of state and society in Taiwan. And he has a deep interest in India’s engagement with East Asia.His current research project is “Foreign Relations and Security in Xi Jinping’s Chinese Dream”.
Dr. Singh joined the MP-IDSA in 2009. He obtained his PhD and MPhil degrees in 2009 and 2004, respectively, from the Centre for East Asian Studies (CEAS), School of International Studies (SIS), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. He is a recipient of the prestigious CCS Grant for Foreign Scholars (2016) by National Central Library (Taiwan), Taiwan Fellowship (2014) and National Huayu Enrichment Scholarship, Taiwan (2011-12). Dr. Singh has been invited to speak at renowned institutes including Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER), National Central Library (NCL), National Chengchi University (NCCU), National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), Council of Advanced Policy Studies (CAPS), Taiwan Think Tank and Tamkang University [all in Taiwan]; China Institute of International Studies (CIIS) in China, Asia Centre in France, and Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Thai Nguyen University in Vietnam.
He has High School/Intermediate-level of fluency in Mandarin Chinese.
Prashant Kumar Singh, ‘Hong Kong in 2019: Fragility of the One Country-Two Systems Arrangement,’ East Asia Military Monitor (EAMM) 2, no. 6 (November-December 2019): 5-10.
Prashant Kumar Singh, “China and South Asia: Deepening of Engagement,” in China’s Transition under Xi Jinping, ed.J.P. Panda (New Delhi: Pentagon Press, 2016), 277-313. (ISBN 978-81-8274-907-8).
Prashant Kumar Singh, “China’s Relations with Latin America and the Caribbean,” in China Year Book 2014, ed. Prashant Kumar Singh (New Delhi: Magnum Books, 2015), 211-234. (ISBN 978-93-82512-26-4).
Prashant Kumar Singh, “Cross-Strait Relations in 2013,” in China Year Book 2013, ed. Naval Jagota (New Delhi: Magnum Books, 2014), 113-127. (ISBN 978-93-82512-24-0).
Prashant Kumar Singh, “China’s Foreign Relations across the Geographies in 2012,” in China Year Book 2012, ed. Rukmani Gupta (New Delhi: Magnum Books, 2013), 75-87. (ISBN 978-93-82512-03-5).
Prashant Kumar Singh and Rumel Dahiya, “China: Managing India-China Relations,” in India’s Neighbourhood Challenges in Next Two Decades, eds. Rumel Dahiya and Ashok K. Behriya (New Delhi: Pentagon Security Press, 2012), 55-94. (ISBN 978-81-8274-687-9).
Associate Fellow IDSA, Dr Prashant Kumar Singh’s article on One Belt one Road (OBOR) Summit was published in Hindi daily, ‘Rashtriya Sahara’ on May 16, 2017.
Associate Fellow IDSA, Dr Prashant Kumar Singh’s comments on Hu Weijia's article published in ‘Global Times’ on China’s increasing stakes in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), in view of its heavy investment in the region, was published in Hindi daily, ‘Rashtriya Sahara’ on May 6, 2017.
In Smart Diplomacy: Exploring China-India Synergy, P.S. Suryanarayana has sought to answer the questions: ‘Will China and India live at peace with each other? Will they be able to overcome the deficit of trust between them? Will they be able to find amicable solutions to their disputes over their borders, Pakistan, Tibet, rivers, and trade, etc.?’ (p. iv). These questions, raised by Ambassador Tommy Koh in his foreword to the book, concern all those who want a stable and productive future for the two countries that Suryanarayana characterizes as the sunrise powers of the 21st century.
Whether the ruling would induce China to adopt a fresh look at the dispute or it would only further complicate the domestic and regional political situations will depend on the domestic, regional and international responses in the coming days and weeks.
The return of DPP to power is a significant development from the point of view of cross-strait relations and security in East Asia. Given its growing thrust on ‘Act East’, India needs to take note of the political shift in Taiwan and its likely impact at the wider regional level.
Recent developments in India-North Korea relations make it an opportune time for India to devise a new approach for its engagement with the Korean Peninsula that will help redefine its Act East policy.
Tien-sze Fang’s Asymmetrical Threat Perceptions in India–China Relations makes a comparative study of the threat perceptions of the two countries vis-à-vis each other. The book endorses the view that although both the countries have security concerns from each other, the threat perception in India is far more acute than in China. This asymmetry defines the relations between the two countries.
An investigation into the prospects for including political talks in the cross-strait dialogue enables a better assessment of cross-strait relations. China’s push for political talks and Taiwan’s resistance to them imply that their political positions on the fundamental issues of sovereignty and ‘living space’ for Taiwan remain unchanged. Considering Taiwan’s complex domestic political scenario, which is largely against unification with Mainland China, the likelihood of Taiwan agreeing to political talks for unification is remote.