A Clash of Political Cultures

In this book, Sudarshan Bhutani, who served in the Indian Embassy in China during 1957-62, critically narrates the political and diplomatic circumstances which led to the Indo-China war in 1962. He also analyses the role of the factors influencing Chinas domestic and foreign policies-especially the impact of the Tibetan revolt and the constraints it placed on the realization of her place in the international community. These factors and Chinas own warped image of Nehrus role and standing had a decisive impact on the India-China boundary dispute. The Tibetan revolt proved the catalyst for a series of events: border incidents and the 1960 meeting of Nehru and Zhou Enlai in New Delhi amongst them. The steady crescendo of mutual mistrust set the stage for China, unleashing a full-scale ground war in 1962. The war went in Chinas favour but brought no dividends except the formation of the Sino-Pak alliance. Drawing on his rich diplomatic experience, Ambassador Bhutani has given readers an incisive and deeply researched book which is must-read for scholars and students of international affairs.