Vijay Gokhale (2021), “The Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate with India”, New Delhi: Penguin.
Neeraj Singh Manhas
The Long Game is a groundbreaking examination of six pivotal negotiations between India and China, drawing valuable and precise lessons for the future. It is required reading for diplomats, academics, and anyone interested in how India will deal with its most significant strategic challenge: an increasingly powerful China. Gokhale’s familiarity with the negotiations, combined with his extensive experience in China, has resulted in a book of unparalleled scholarship and long-term relevance. Shivshankar Menon, former Foreign Secretary and National Security Advisor to former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, described the book as “a book to read, reread, and savour.”
The book is divided into seven chapters (with preface, acknowledgements and notes acting as the references to the highlighted points covered in the chapters). The first chapter, titled “Recognition,” depicts the process of negotiations that began between Independent India and the newly established “People’s Republic of China” (1949), led by Chinese Communist stalwart Mao Zedong. Following the civil war that resulted in the defeat of the Nationalist forces (Kuomintang) led by Chiang Kai Shek, Zedong assumed leadership. It also provides a brief overview of the international scenario at the time, focusing on the emergence of ‘Cold War’ politics. It also mentions the prior experiences of both the Chinese Communists and Nationalists in dealing with foreign powers, pointing to the former USSR and the US. The experiences were novel for India because they coincided with the Second World War and the country’s independence from British rule. The Chinese Civil War ended in 1949, and India recognised the People’s Republic of China two years later, two years after its own independence. The second chapter, titled ‘Tibet- The Price of Friendship,’ is about the Tibet issue and extensively covers the negotiations as well as the squabbles that eventually led to the agreement on ‘Trade and Intercourse’ between China’s Tibetan region and India on April 29, 1954. The agreement evolved into what became known as the “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence”. The third chapter, titled ‘Pokhran-How to Untie a Knot from the Tiger’s Neck,’ discusses India’s nuclear tests in 1998 and their aftermath, which resulted in a lengthy diplomatic dispute with the P5 countries. The event highlighted how China played an important role in using its influence to counter India’s nuclear tests. It also provides a brief overview of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), in which China plays the role of hegemon in order to keep India at bay. The fourth chapter, titled ‘Sikkim-Half a Linguistic Pirouette,’ delves into the Indian state of Sikkim’s position in the Indo-China negotiations, which resulted in China formally recognizing Sikkim as part of Indian territory on April 11, 2005. The fifth chapter, titled ‘123 Deal- The Big Turnaround,’ provides insights into the 2008 India-China negotiations on the 123 Nuclear Deal. Following a long series of diplomatic negotiations, the sixth and final chapter, titled ‘Masood Azhar- The Principle of Consensus,’ depicts China’s role in consistently blocking India’s bid to include Pakistan-based terror outfit JEM’s Chief Maulana Masood Azhar as a terrorist on the UNSC 1267 Sanctions List. India was dealing with terrorism at a time when the China-Pakistan alliance was nearing its pinnacle. The seventh and final chapter, titled ‘Lessons for India,’ is a precise depiction of the book’s central theme. It is a summary of the lessons learned from the author’s six case studies (the first six chapters), in which he focused on the deep analytical aspects of the Chinese negotiating pattern and diplomatic behavior with India. It also provides an in-depth look at the various institutions affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is in charge of Chinese foreign policy and diplomacy. It also serves as an unofficial guiding doctrine for future Indian negotiators, who can actually turn the negotiations in their favor if these Chinese tactics are meticulously studied and understood.
This is a must-read book for all IR enthusiasts, particularly those interested in Indo-China relations or aspiring to become Chinese experts. The author’s credentials include former Foreign Secretary and Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China Vijay Gokhale, who is a well-known expert on Chinese diplomacy and foreign affairs. Gokhale has repeatedly demonstrated his all-encompassing knowledge of these issues in various papers and books. After ‘Tiananmen Square: The Making of a Protest,’ this is his second book. One of the most impressive aspects of the book is the simple and lucid language, which makes it easy for a layperson to understand and grasp the insights conveyed by the book.
To conclude, let me quote another expert who has commented on this book and captured the essence of it: “At a time when Sino-Indian relations are in serious crisis, ‘The Long Game’ astutely illuminates China’s persistently hard-nosed attitude toward India right from their first interactions as independent states.” Vijay Gokhale, with a practiced diplomatic eye, dispels the myth that China and India ever shared convergent interests in Asia and globally. A perplexing read, but one that is unavoidable.” – Ashley J Tellis, Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace senior fellow
Neeraj Singh Manhas is a Doctoral Scholar in International Relations, Department of Political Science at Sardar Patel University in India.
