The China–India rivalry began in the 1950s and deepened with the 1962 border war. Despite several rounds of negotiations, no end to this rivalry is in sight, and intermittent militarised flare-ups persist, most recently seen in the 2017 Doklam standoff.
The China–India Rivalry in the Globalisation Era takes a critical look at relations between the two countries and asks: What explains the peculiar contours of this rivalry? How is it different from the India–Pakistan rivalry? What influence does intensified globalisation and issues such as US–China competition and China’s expanding reach into the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean have on this conflict?
Today, while China–India relations are somewhat positive in many aspects, the rivalry has entered a new phase, with China’s growing ambition to become a global power and India’s desire to be recognised as a rising great power colliding in different spheres.
Viewing the relationship as largely asymmetrical, the chapters study the key themes of the conflict such as status concerns, differing perceptions of international order, the quest for resources, and water and territorial disputes; and through this relationship, the book emphasises the need to study the dynamic nature of interstate rivalry itself.