RISING TO THE CHINA CHALLENGE

Rising to the China Challenge is a stellar contribution to India’s rethinking of how to manage a more dangerous China. Conflict has resurfaced on the China–India border. The framework that had prevailed from 1988—to proceed with deep engagement while the border issues lay unresolved—has come to an end. The events of Doklam and Ladakh are not the end of this story. India now faces the prospect of a hostile relationship with China. This is not just a problem of sending troops to Ladakh; this is a problem that will play out on a strategic scale. It is difficult for India to navigate these waters, as China is substantially ahead of India in many aspects. Thinking about these questions and developing an intellectual framework for Indian strategy is very important in India today, and will have an impact on a broad swathe of Indian policy planning. In Rising to the China Challenge Gautam Bambawale, Vijay Kelkar, R.A. Mashelkar, Ganesh Natarajan, Ajit Ranade and Ajay Shah, examine this problem from India’s point of view, and develop the elements of the Indian strategic response. Their in-depth study of China and a compare-and-contrast with India in an array of practical areas, ranging from electric vehicles to taxation of corporations, establish the roadmap for the economic, diplomatic and military aspects of the bilateral relationship. This book represents a holistic picture that integrates these three diverse perspectives. Rising to the China Challenge is a call to action that policy planners will find invaluable while engaging in deep consultations and developing a pragmatic way forward.