At a time when India-China relations continue to shape conversations around Asia’s future, a new book, Chindia: Journey to an Asian Century, takes readers beyond headlines and diplomatic statements to examine one of the world’s most important and complicated relationships.
Written by veteran journalist and China observer Shastri Ramachandaran, Chindia explores the journey of two ancient civilisations that have much in common, yet remain divided by history, geography, politics, strategic competition and mutual suspicion.
The relationship between India and China is difficult to define in simple terms. The two countries are neighbours, major Asian powers and among the world’s most influential economies. They cooperate on global platforms while competing strategically. Their trade relationship continues despite political tensions, while the unresolved boundary dispute remains one of the most sensitive issues between them.
It is within this complex landscape that Chindia: Journey to an Asian Century attempts to tell its story.
The book draws upon Ramachandaran’s long association with China. Having studied and reported on the country for decades, including working as a journalist in China between 2008 and 2022, the author brings both professional observation and personal experience to the subject. His earlier work, Beyond Binaries: The World of India and China, also examined the relationship between the two Asian giants.
A Story Told in Five Parts
One of the distinctive aspects of Chindia is its structure. The book is divided into five sections, beginning with “Scoping out China”, before developing its narrative through sections including “Elephant and the Dragon,” “India-China Cooperation” and “All the World is a Stage.” The journey ultimately moves towards a forward-looking vision in “The Asian Century Future.”
The structure gives the book the rhythm of an evolving narrative rather than simply presenting India-China relations as a collection of political events.
The elephant and the dragon have become familiar symbols for India and China. In Chindia, however, the relationship is not presented as a simple story of rivalry. The author examines moments of cooperation and optimism alongside periods of confrontation, diplomatic tension and military stand-offs.
The book covers important issues that have shaped modern relations, including the boundary dispute, the legacy of the 1962 war, the Galwan Valley clash, Doklam, diplomatic disagreements, leadership visits and the growing but uneven economic relationship between the two countries.
Looking Beyond the Border
While the border remains central to India-China relations, Chindia appears to take a wider view of the relationship.
The story extends into economics, diplomacy, global politics and society. The United States, Russia, South Asia and Africa all feature in the larger geopolitical picture, as do multilateral platforms such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
This wider perspective is important because India and China do not operate in isolation. Their relationship is constantly influenced by developments elsewhere in the world, just as decisions made in New Delhi and Beijing increasingly affect international politics.
The book also offers observations about Chinese society and the contrast between China’s extraordinary economic and infrastructural development and some of the social and political challenges that continue to exist. At the same time, the author reportedly turns a critical eye towards Indian diplomacy when necessary, making the book an examination of both countries rather than an argument for one side against the other.
Can Cooperation and Competition Coexist?
Perhaps the most important question behind Chindia is whether India and China can find a way to coexist despite their differences.
The two countries will undoubtedly continue to compete in areas ranging from geopolitics and technology to manufacturing and regional influence. Yet they also share an unavoidable reality: both are too important to each other—and to Asia—for their relationship to be defined only by confrontation.
Ramachandaran’s central perspective is one of cautious possibility. The book acknowledges the setbacks and tensions that have shaped recent years but also explores the argument that economic cooperation and diplomatic engagement remain essential if Asia is to realise its wider potential.
The idea of an Asian Century has been discussed for decades. Whether that future becomes a reality may depend significantly on how Asia’s two largest powers manage their relationship.
Chindia: Journey to an Asian Century does not appear to offer easy answers. Instead, it presents the India-China relationship as what it truly is: a continuing story of history, ambition, misunderstanding, cooperation, competition and possibility.
For students, researchers, diplomats, journalists and readers interested in contemporary Asia, the book offers a detailed window into the forces shaping the relationship between the elephant and the dragon – and the future they may help create together.
The book, published in 2026, covers the trajectory of India-China relations during the period from 2008 to 2025 and is positioned as a contemporary chronicle of the changing dynamics between the two Asian powers.