Understanding China And India

This book examines India-China relations throughout history as well as in the context of current business cooperation and competition. It also explores geo-political and societal factors, such as religion or class models, that influence and shape bilateral relations, and provides thorough analyses and comparisons of networks between the two countries. This book will appeal to researchers and graduate students interested in India-China relations as well as Chinese and Indian business ties.

The remarkable rise of China in the last three decades has had a mixed global reaction. While many countries have welcomed this rise, some of China’s neighbours have viewed it with concern if not consternation. What does the rise of China signify for India, given our none too smooth relationship with China and latter’s unqualified support to Pakistan in military and nuclear field? What do our leading companies feel about China? Would the Indian Ocean be the scene of stiff confrontation between India and China? Or is “China Threat” an exaggeration or hype as some would hold? This book is the result of intense discussions on the above questions in a seminar held on Dec 20/21, 2011 at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. The Chapters in this book, based on papers presented by leading experts on China both from the Government and the Private sectors covers almost all aspects of China from internal political developments, foreign policy to economy, S&T developments and Strategic capabilities, particularly with respect to India. China’s growing military and economic clout and impressive advances in trade and technology have all been analysed by various speakers who are well known for their expertise on china. China’s views on India have also been brought out succinctly. The Seminar was the first major interaction on a subject of strategic national interest. It is hoped that the book would contribute to better understanding of China by both the interested citizens of this country and the policy makers.

Though considerable research literature is now available on China–India relations, most of it still follows a conventional narrative, viewing the relationship through the narrow conflictual prism limited to South Asia than in the new, larger perspective, especially in the context of emerging East Asian dynamics. This book offers comprehensive analyses of some of these issues in papers addressing two broad themes. One, significant trends in the relationship between China and India on a range of issues, including economic development models, their military strategies, and the boundary dispute; and two, how others are responding to the rise of India and China and their impact on East Asia. Together, the chapters constitute a comprehensive study on both China–India relations and their concurrent rise, including a variety of perspectives and methodologies. Written by some of the top experts on the subject from India, China, Japan, and Taiwan and covering a broad range of issues, the book will generate considerable interest in understanding this relatively neglected dimension of today’s East Asia.

Key to developing national security strategy is figuring out what other countries want. What are their national interests? How do they perceive them? How do they project them onto the world stage? Understanding all of this helps us to predict their behavior. In developing a national security strategy for Asia, the United States must take into account the desires of two emerging giants of the 21st century: China and India. We would be mistaken, Lal argues, if we lumped China and India together in one Asian policy, because these two countries differ greatly from one another. Based on over 120 in-depth interviews with government officials and scholars in Beijing and New Delhi, the author's research yields some surprising news about the differences between China and India. Chinese leaders define their national interest as preservation of the state and territorial unity, whereas Indian decision makers define their national interests in relation to forces beyond India, such as the forces of globalization and their geopolitical status. One factor that accounts for these differences, among the many explored in this book, is the influence of one-party rule in China and parliamentary democracy in India. Another important finding is that China and India are unlikely to pursue hostility with each other. The U.S. approach to Asia will need to take these differences into account.

The Routledge Handbook of China–India Relations provides a much-needed understanding of the important and complex relationship between India and China. Reflecting the consequential and multifaceted nature of the bilateral relationship, it brings together thirty-five original contributions by a wide range of experts in the field. The chapters show that China–India relations are more far-reaching and complicated than ever and marked by both conflict and cooperation. Following a thorough introduction by the Editors, the handbook is divided into seven parts which combine thematic and chronological principles: Historical overviews Culture and strategic culture: constructing the other Core bilateral conflicts Military relations Economy and development Relations with third parties China, India, and global order This handbook will be an essential reference work for scholars interested in International Relations, Asian Politics, Global Politics, and China–India relations.