The Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate with India

The author is eminently qualified to write the book under review, having been a distinguished member of the Indian Foreign Service during which period he served as Ambassador to China and eventually became Foreign Secretary. In the author’s words the underlying intent in writing the book is ‘… that the generations to come might benefit by learning about China from those who have dealt with the subject … the insights contained herein may prove helpful to them in their future dealings with the Chinese’ (p. 162). Towards this intent, six case studies have been presented covering events in the bilateral relationship spanning 70 years from 1949 to 2019. For developing the case studies, the author analysed ‘Chinese diplomatic behaviour’ and identified ‘specific threads of Chinese negotiating strategy … to unfold tools that China employs in diplomatic negotiations with India’ (p. xiv). The added advantage is that the author who was witness, and presumably a participant, in the last four of the six events covered, asserts ‘… that (the book) might hold lessons for India in future negotiations with China’ (p. xiv).