China and India have had a tense relationship, disagreeing over territory, support for each other’s rivals, and even, at times, leadership of the “Global South.” But there were periods where things seemed a bit rosier. For about a decade, between 1988 and 1998, relations between India and China thawed—and prompted heady predictions of an Asian century.
Vappala Balachandran, who was part of those off-line discussions with China, writes about the ups and downs of China-India relations in his latest book <a href="https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/india-and-china-at-odds-in-the-asian-century/">India and China at Odds in the Asian Century: A Diplomatic and Strategic History</a> (Hurst: 2025)
Vappala Balachandran is a columnist, former special secretary for the Indian Cabinet Secretariat, and author of four books on Indian security, strategy and intelligence.
You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at<a href="https://asianreviewofbooks.com/"> The Asian Review of Books</a>, including its review of <a href="https://asianreviewofbooks.com/india-and-china-at-odds-in-the-asian-century-a-diplomatic-and-strategic-history-by-vappala-balachandran/">India and China at Odds in the Asian Century</a>. Follow on Twitter at<a href="https://twitter.com/BookReviewsAsia"> @BookReviewsAsia</a>.
Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at<a href="https://twitter.com/nickrigordon?lang=en"> @nickrigordon</a>.
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