China and India: Great Power Rivals by Mohan Malik

Professor Mohan Malik teaches at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu and comes across as a typical academic and scholar—earnest, animated and absolutely convinced of the accuracy and authenticity of his research. When one adds the years of domain knowledge of what is turning out to be amongst the most discussed rivalries of the early 21st century—the India–China contest for strategic space in Asia—what you have is a sure recipe for a scholarly masterpiece. Without doubt, Professor Malik’s book, China and India: Great Power Rivals, is among the finest books in recent times on the ‘great game’ that is being re-enacted between two ancient civilisations that stretch from the vast steppes of the Central Asian Republics to the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, leaving in their wake a host of mini-contests that range from Tibet and Myanmar to the uneasy but proud nation states of South East Asia. The two countries are competing to secure energy resources to fuel their growth engines and also to access new markets for their products. It is only natural that these efforts lead to increased competition for influence in the region.