India and China comprise nearly forty per cent of the world’s population. Their relationship is vital for three billion people. It is also consequential for countries in the neighbourhood and for the world at large. Why have the relations between the two countries been troubled over sixty years? A war in 1962 was followed by decades of uneasy peace, but in the recent years, a number of serious military confrontations have underlined their huge and growing differences. After the war of 1962, the two countries had managed to preserve a high degree of military stability along the Himalayan Border. Then, in June 2020, a melee at Galwan in Ladakh left Indian and Chinese soldiers dead and injured. Six decades of relative calm between two countries collapsed in a matter of weeks.

In India versus China: Why They are not Friends Kanti Bajpai traces the origins and development of modern India – China relationship and astutely considers how the balance of power between the two giants has evolved and shifted with time. At a time when China – India military conflicts have once again risen to prominence, Kanti Bajpai’s India versus China: Why They are not Friends provides an excellent overview of why their deep differences in visions, interests, affiliations and capabilities promise to persist, with troubling consequences for the states. The book examines the differences in four crucial areas: their perceptions and prejudices about each other; their continuing disagreements over the border; their changing partnerships with America and Russia; and their growing asymmetry between them which affects all aspects of their relationship. There is a deep divide between the countries and what does the future hold? In December 1988, the two countries had decided to intensify engagement while taking steps to manage these conflicts. Over the past year, the paradigm has been severely damaged. Why and how did this happen? Why is the India – China relation so conflict prone? What is the future? Can cooperation and competition replace confrontation and conflict?

India and China are not friends for four key reasons: Deep seated differences over their perceptions of each other, their territorial perimeters, and their strategic partnerships with big powers, as well as asymmetry of power between them. Negative perceptions of each other and profound differences over their perimeters are compounded by the fact that they have not been strategic partners. They have both partnered Soviet Union / Russia and U.S. at various times but never have been in partnership with each other. There is a power- gap between them.

India and China are also divided by number of other differences. Growing Chinese influence among India’s other neighbours in South Asia; India’s coalition building with Japan and Vietnam in China’s backyard; their diplomacy in other parts of the world and in multilateral forums; international status seeking by both powers; India’s huge trade deficit with China; Chinese dam building on Yarlung Tsangpo / Brahmputra river. They are additional points of friction driven by four more basic causes. Differences over perimeters – the borderlands and Tibet are at heart of much of India - China conflict. If India and China had been partners internationally, they would have a history of strategic collaboration to draw on to balance against their negative perceptions of each other and their conflicts in the perimeters. The moments of diplomatic convergence have been ephemeral and the two leaderships, civil and military have lacked robust structures of trust and communication. Also, India has increasingly fallen behind China, in terms of economic, military and soft power. Economic power-gap is tremendous and insurmountable in foreseeable future. Negative mutual perceptions, differences over perimeters, rival partnerships, power-asymmetry affect each other. These four drivers of conflict are intertwined and they magnify each other and make conflict more complex.

The release of Mr Kanti Bajpai’s book ‘India Versus China: Why They are not Friends’ is deeply researched and a timely reminder of the fact that India and China haven’t been able to get along for most periods after their independence in 1947 and 1949 respectively. Kanti Bajpai combines deep knowledge, analytical insight and lucid language in India versus China. In this insightful and informative book, Kanti Bajpai in a clear and precise way provides the master framework of four categories – Perceptions, Perimeters, Partnerships and Power as a narrative of perhaps the most complex and consequential relationship in Asia. As both the nations emerged out of the clutches of colonial dominance, it was expected that India and China will be able to get along with each other because of the ‘Asian solidarity’. However, this proved to be utterly wrong as both the sides found each other on the other side in the global arena. This aspect is a major focus of one of the chapters of the book which clearly shows that even today there are less areas of cooperation between both the nations on the world stage. The reader gets a glimpse of the analytical nature of the author assiduously covering impactful issues as well as sharing personal anecdotes which are equally important in the present book to add substance to the arguments made by the author in the various chapters. The question of resolving the Tibet issue can be described as one of the quintessential themes of the book. The whole issue and it’s dealing by the subsequent governments from the time of Mr. Nehru to the present day has been dealt with quite comprehensively. As the book shows, though India formally recognised Tibet or TAR (Tibetan Autonomous Region) as a part of China in 2003, there exists a lot of distrust between both the nations on each other’s policy vis-a-vis Tibet.

A never-ending debate whenever one talks about India-China is about whether India will be able to pose a stiff challenge to China in the coming decade or so. There are indeed no clear-cut answers to the question, but the author has been courageous enough to suggest an answer to it. The Road ahead for India is not an impossible one. But it would be fanciful to think that matching China is just a matter of attaining double digit growth, doubling GDP every decade, producing indigenous weapon systems, and external balancing by aligning with Great Powers. To quote from what Mr. Kanti Bajpai says, “Far more fundamental change will be needed, almost a civilizational change.”

The book is seminal contribution to chronicle complex India-China relations in very objective and unbiased manner and has an enduring value. The book is lucid, timely and important intervention, written with assurance and authority, the narrative ranges widely over history, economics, politics, leadership, military strategy, diplomacy etc. This book is extremely significant, engaging timely must read for anyone who wants to understand India - China relationship.