Yin, yang and assumptions

India and China are two of the world's largest civilisations, countries and Leconomies.

- GUNJAN SINGH

Both have adopted strikingly different routes to reach the position they are in today. India adopted the path of a democratic governance while China moved towards the one-party authoritarian state. The author asserts that "this yin-yang of national narratives has unfolded uniquely for each nation over the centuries, shapingtheir individual, path-dependent trajectories". The book also explores major events, policy decisions and bilateral realities that have shaped the path of both nations.

The author says he hopes to provide an overview of how India and China are affecting the global order in their own way. In effect, though, he has presented a comparative study of the two countries. The book certainly provides detailed information about the changes and developments that have been underway in each country. But it doesn't engage with any one specific development in detail. In the process, the quality of the analysis is inadequate.