On November 11, International Security Studies hosted a Discussion Forum focused on the complex, volatile relationship between India and China featuring one of India’s most prominent foreign affairs journalists, Sushant Singh.
A Senior Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research in India, founder of The India Cable, and former Deputy Editor of The Indian Express newspaper, Singh is currently at Yale this semester as a lecturer in Political Science and South Asian Studies.
The conversation was moderated by Arne Westad, director of ISS and Elihu Professor of History and Global Affairs. The audience included 25 attendees in the GM Room as well as 75 on Zoom.
Following an introduction by Ted Wittenstein, executive director of ISS, Singh gave a brief presentation on the current situation unfolding along the China-India border. In August, troops clashed over a contested boundary area, exchanging gunfire.
Singh offered his thoughts on why the two countries have failed to resolve the issue through diplomacy. “Both countries believe they are destined for greatness,” he said, suggesting that China would like to use the border issue to “put India in its place.”
Singh also highlighted the many close ties between the two countries, including $100 million in trade, significant Chinese investments in Indian infrastructure, and student exchanges.
Westad and Singh also took audience questions on a variety of topics, including human rights abuses of Muslim minorities in India and the impact the border conflict is having on neighboring countries, including Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.