Chronicling the India–China Puzzle

China and India are the emerging economies in Asia and are in close geographical proximity to each other. What makes this relationship complicated is the fact that India and China have a disputed boundary and even though the relationship can be regarded as smooth historically, post-1962 the situation took a turn for worse. After a long 14-year gap of absent diplomatic relations after the 1962 war, India and China resumed their diplomatic contacts at the ambassadorial level only in 1976.1 The general perception of people on both sides has been one of negativity and mistrust towards the other. In addition, the force driving and shaping the formulation of foreign policy and diplomatic agenda has been influenced by heavy nationalism in India as well as China.