Understanding China and India : security implications for the United States and the world / Rollie Lal ; foreword by Karl D. Jackson ; introduction by Walter Anderson.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [161]-168) and index.

1. National interests in China and India -- 2. Similarities between China's and India's pursuits of national objectives -- 3. National identity and national interest -- 4. Globalization, geopolitics, and sovereignty -- 5. Political institutions and the hierarchy of interests -- 6. China-India relations -- 7. Implications -- App. A. China interview questions -- App. B. India interview questions.

"Based on 80 in-depth interviews with government officials and scholars in Beijing and New Delhi, author Rollie Lal's research yields some surprising news about the differences between China and India. Chinese leaders define their national interest as preservation of the state and territorial unity, whereas Indian decision makers define their national interests in relation to forces beyond India, such as the forces of globalization and their geopolitical status. One factor that accounts for these differences, among the many explored in this book, is the influence of one-party rule in China and parliamentary democracy in India. Another important finding is that China and India are unlikely to pursue hostility with each other. The U.S. approach to Asia will need to take these differences into account."--BOOK JACKET.