Understanding China and India

Beschrijving

U.S global hegemony looks set to be challenged by the two emerging giants of the 21st century, China and India. However, it would be a mistake to view China and India as one Asian polity, because these two countries differ greatly from each other, as Lal explains in this book. Based on 80 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 globalisation and their geopolitical status. One factor among the many explored in this book that accounts for these differences 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. Lal investigates the implications of the rise of China and India for U.S foreign policy and world security. Hardcover