IndiaChina Rivalry: Asymmetric No Longer An Assessment of Chinas s Evolving Perceptions of India

In Recent Years, There Has Been Growing Interest In Deciphering The Nature And Contours Of Bilateral Dynamics Between India And China, Since The Contours Bilateral Dynamics Between The Two Rising Powers Have Potential Implications For The Evolving Geopolitical Order In The Region And Even Beyond. This Book Is Not About Understanding The Nature Of Rivalry Dynamics Between India And China But Prominently Focuses On ChinaS Mental And Emotional Image Of India, Which Has Remained An Underexplored Dimension In Contemporary Scholarship.The Aim Of The Book Is TwoFold. First, This Book Is An Effort To Analyse ChinaS Contemporary Perceptual Image About India Primarily Through The Analysis Of Chinese Publications On The Subject. Second, This Book Questions The Prevalent Notion Of Characterising IndiaChina Rivalry As OneSided Or Asymmetric. Unarguably, Power Asymmetry, With Substantial Chinese Advantage, Has Been A Persistent Characteristic Of IndiaChina Relations And Is Likely To Remain Or Even Grow Further. India, Being Weaker In This Dyad, Naturally Has A Greater Threat Perception VisVis China. However, This Apparent Power Asymmetry Does Not Provide China With An Overwhelming Advantage Over India. The Book Argues That India Has Been And Continues To Be A Strategic Rival In Chinese Perception Even Though It Is Not Categorised By China As Its Principal Rival. In The Contemporary Period, As India Expands Its Defence Capabilities, Extends Its Regional Outreach And Deepens Its Engagement With Major Powers, Beijing Has Begun To Factor New Delhi Into Its Strategic Calculus Even More Seriously. Abhay Kumar Singh Is A Research Fellow At The Manohar Parrikar Institute For Defence Studies And Analyses, New Delhi. His Work Focusses On Geopolitics Of The IndoPacific Region.