India and China have had a fractured relationship since the 1950s. The Long Game by Vijay Gokhale, published by Penguin Random House, details the various diplomatic strategies and tactics used by the Chinese for negotiation. Gokhale, who has spent nearly four decades in the Indian Foreign Service before retiring as foreign secretary in January 2020, is an expert on Chinese diplomacy.
In his long career, his assignments in Hong Kong, Taipei and Beijing, between 1982 and 2017, and his postings in New Delhi offered him deep insights into negotiating behaviour by the Chinese. According to him, China is our largest neighbour, and this relationship is more likely than any other to have wide-ranging implications for our national security and development.
“In a world in which war is becoming less sustainable and the role of diplomacy will become even more critical in ensuring our national well-being, the book explores how China conducts diplomacy and what lessons India may draw about negotiating with the Chinese. The book is not a purely academic work, and is written for Indians who are curious to know about China.” The Long Game, informs Gokhale, recounts six major events that have shaped India- China relations in the past 70 years.
“The topics range from the question of early recognition of the People’s Republic China by India in 1950 and the Tibet issue during the time when much of the world was hostile to Chinese Communism, to recent negotiations on matters of terrorism where the two countries found themselves on different sides,” he says. In his opinion, the Chinese style of negotiation is complex as they carefully study the strengths and weaknesses of those they negotiate with and weigh their own strengths in comparison. “Their preparation is meticulous and deception is common.
The style of negotiation changes depending not merely on the adversary, but also on the timing, environment and objective. They are capable of displaying warmth, indifference and hostility in the space of a single session in pursuit of their objectives,” he says, adding, “Dealing with them will require skilled negotiators trained in the Chinese language and culture, and aware of the role that ideology in the Chinese diplomatic playbook.” According to Elizabeth Kuruvilla, Executive Editor, Penguin Random House, China’s growing muscle economic, military and diplomatic has been a matter of deep concern, particularly for India.
“A number of recent crises points that the India- China relationship has underlined the enormous strategic challenge posed by the latter’s unabashed pursuit of its interests. The Beijing playbook has often been opaque and unpredictable.” She informs that in such a scenario, Vijay Gokhale’s long experience in Sino-Indian diplomacy, backed up by extensive research and analysis, is valuable in understanding the China challenge and how to meet it. “This book states why India cannot afford to ever let its guard down, while engaging with its strongest and most powerful neighbour.”
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