This summer’s standoff between the Chinese and Indian militaries at Doklam has revived the troubled but fascinating history of relations between the world’s two most populous nations. Using new documents from China, Jonathan D. T. Ward examined the little-known depths of the bilateral relationship. Ward traced China-India relations from a period of ‘brotherhood’ between the two nations after their founding as modern states to the China-India Border War of 1962 on to today’s rivalry. As tensions abound from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean region, Ward discussed the possibility for reconciliation after Doklam, as well as the significance of the current trajectory of China-India relations for the United States and its allies. Jeff M. Smith served as a discussant, and Carnegie’s Ashley J. Tellis moderated.
Jonathan D. T. Ward
Jonathan D. T. Ward recently completed his doctorate in philosophy at the University of Oxford, specializing in China-India relations. He is the founder of the recently established Atlas Organization, a consultancy which advises on China, India, and the Indo-Pacific region.
Jeff M. Smith
Jeff M. Smith is an expert on South Asian security issues serving as a research fellow in the Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center. Most recently, Smith was the director of Asian Security Programs and the Kraemer strategy fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council.
Ashley J. Tellis
Ashley J. Tellis holds the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, specializing in international security and U.S. foreign and defense policy with a special focus on Asia and the Indian subcontinent.