Fateful Triangle: How China Shaped US-India Relations During the Cold War

by Tanvi Madan

In this Asian century, the outcome of the geopolitical rivalry between China and India is of increasing concern. Where once the United States developed separate relationships with each of the two Asian giants, those relations now appear to be intertwined. A major issue is China's growing global influence and how it might alter the dynamics among the three nations. In Fateful Triangle, Tanvi Madan argues that China's influence on the US-India relationship is not a recent phenomenon. Rather, US and Indian perceptions of and policy towards China significantly shaped US-India relations in three crucial decades, from 1949 to 1979.
Fateful Triangle updates our understanding of the diplomatic history of US-India relations, highlighting China's central role in it, and provides historical context for the interactions among the three countries.

Genres: Politics, China, International Relations, India, Nonfiction, History, World History

401 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 29, 2020

Reviews

[Rajiv Chopra · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Fateful Triangle" by Tanvi Madan is an excellent book. I believe she had to make some tradeoffs when writing this book. For instance, she does not pay much attention to the compulsions created by Pakistan and Russia, and how these two relationships have impacted India's relationship with the USA.

However, she has done an excellent job in detailing the history of Indo-US relationships. She divided this into four phases, and in each, she has demonstrated how our importance to the US has waxed and waned, as has their relationship with China. Our own lack of progress and inconsistency of thought has also impacted this.

What I like in the book, is that she lays out the narrative without taking a position on either side. Unlike most authors these days, she allows us to draw our own conclusions and encourages us to think.

She has walked a fine line, and she has walked it well.

The book has been impeccably researched. It is not simple reading, so read a chapter a day. If you have time, read one in the morning, and one in the afternoon! But do not read it continuously.

Read. Digest. Repeat the process.

[Shailender Arya · Rating 5 out of 5]

The relationship between US, China and India is likely to be the defining relationship of this century. However, the interactions between these three countries go back a long time with shifting perceptions, some prejudices, ideologically-driven foreign policy priorities and an ever-evolving balance of power. The book provides an excellent and well-researched historical context to these interactions. In many ways, these interactions shape the outlook and the relations even today.

There are views of diplomats, directions of leaders, world events, and some interesting anecdotes and observations - all impeccably researched, analyzed and put together in a chronological and interesting manner.