Book Talk: Tiananmen Square - The Making of a Protest by Vijay Gokhale

Thu. May 13th, 2021
Zoom Webinar

The events that occurred at Tiananmen Square in 1989 not only set the course for China’s politics, but also re-defined its relationship with the world. Vijay Gokhale, former foreign secretary of India, then a young diplomat serving in Beijing, was a witness to the drama that unfolded. His new book 'Tiananmen Square - The Making of a Protest: A Diplomat Looks Back', brings an Indian perspective on an event in China's history that the Chinese government has been eager to have the world forget.

We hosted Shivshankar Menon, Tanvi Madan, and Vijay Gokhale for this special edition of our India and the World webinar series  in which the speakers discussed this unique account of a seminal event in China’s history that refuses to be forgotten. The discussion was moderated by Rudra Chaudhuri.

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
event speakers

Vijay Gokhale

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Security Studies Program

Vijay Gokhale is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India and the former foreign secretary of India. He has worked extensively on matters relating to the Indo-Pacific region with a special emphasis on Chinese politics and diplomacy.

Shivshankar Menon

Shivshankar Menon was the national security advisor to the prime minister of India from January 2010 to May 2014; the foreign secretary of India from October 2006 to July 2009; and served as the Indian ambassador to China, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Israel over his tenure in the foreign service.

Tanvi Madan

Tanvi Madan is the director of The India Project and senior fellow for foreign policy and the Project on International Order and Strategy at the Brookings Institution.

Rudra Chaudhuri

Director, Carnegie India

Rudra Chaudhuri is the director of Carnegie India. His research focuses on the diplomatic history of South Asia, contemporary security issues, and the important role of emerging technologies and digital public infrastructure in diplomacy, statecraft, and development. He and his team at Carnegie India chair and convene the Global Technology Summit, co-hosted with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.