The Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) is delighted to invite you for an online, public discussion on Kanti Bajpai’s new book, “India Versus China: Why They Are Not Friends,” on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, 5:00 pm – 6:15 pm (IST).

An excellent primer on the changing India-China relationship, the book examines the four key drivers of conflict between the two Asian giants: negative elite perceptions of each other; differences over perimeters – the borderlands and Tibet; lacking trust and communication structures between civilian and military leaderships; and a growing asymmetry on economic, military, and soft power capabilities. While Professor Bajpai explains how India and China got to be so fractious despite their attempts at cooperation in the past, his book also invites a broader inquiry on the current trajectory of India-China relations, one year after the deadly Galwan clash in the Himalayas. Our discussion will focus on the book’s key arguments and also seek to evaluate the future of India’s China policy with the author and a panel of experts.

About the Author:

Kanti Bajpai is Director at the Centre on Asia and Globalisation, and Wilmar Professor of Asian Studies at the Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore (NUS). Prior to this, he was Professor in the Politics and International Relations of South Asia at Oxford University, and previously Professor of International Politics at Jawaharlal National University (JNU). He has also held visiting appointments at the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace, Notre Dame University, the Brookings Institution, and the Australian Defence Force Academy. Most recently, he was Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi.

This CSEP seminar will be chaired by Shivshankar Menon, Distinguished Fellow, CSEP, and Former National Security Advisor and feature the following speakers:

Kanti Bajpai, Director, Centre on Asia and Globalisation and Wilmar Professor of Asian Studies, Lee Kuan Yew School, National University of Singapore

Tanvi Madan, Director, The India Project, and Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution

Jabin Jacob, Associate Professor, Department of International Relations and Governance Studies, Shiv Nadar University

Antara Ghosal Singh, Research Associate, CSEP

Please register in advance using this link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/2016237329827/WN_DVFJozPkQY6yU0cR30IkTg

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with details about joining the webinar.

During the discussion, you will be able to submit your questions via the Q&A chatbox on Zoom. Alternatively, you can also share your questions with us in advance by emailing Nitika Nayar, at nnayar@csep.org.

If you are unable to join us via Zoom, please join us on our YouTube Livestream: https://bit.ly/35FddWR

All content reflects the individual views of the speakers. The Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) does not hold an institutional view on any subject.