Understanding the Chinese Behemoth

Our large neighbour to the north, the People’s Republic of China, has been the subject of Indian scholarship for some time now. Much of this scholarship is focused on issues of traditional security, China’s strides in military modernization and the implications for India. This China Series is notable for its attempt to expand scholarship beyond the emphasis on the Chinese military threat. Divided into five volumes, each is a compendium of chapters on different topics. It clearly proposes to expand the scope of study by moving well beyond the paradigm of traditional-security challenges endeavouring a holistic study of China. The very first volume identifies two purposes for this undertaking: a) under-standing how and why China’s intentions and actions impinge on India’s national interests and b) to factor this assessment into working out a sensible relationship with China.