Why India Must Invest in Understanding China Beyond Diplomatic Optics

 

Why India Needs to Truly Understand China, Not Just React to It

On August 31, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will set foot in China, and as always, the big question will be: where are India-China ties headed? Newspapers and TV panels will be filled with images of handshakes, diplomatic speeches, and photo ops. But behind the headlines lies a more uncomfortable and important question — do we even understand China well enough to know what direction our relationship can or should take?

For decades, India’s approach towards its neighbour has been shaped less by deep knowledge and more by a mix of reactionary policies, political narratives, and borrowed expertise. And that is exactly the problem.

The Missing Link: Real China Expertise

This is not a new issue. Scholars have been warning for years that India has a serious gap in terms of “China expertise.” Back in 2021, historians Arunabh Ghosh and Tansen Sen wrote an op-ed pointing out that the study of Chinese history in India was “in crisis.” They highlighted a lack of proper language training, weak research foundations, and a poor ability to engage directly with Chinese sources.

The result? India often depends on foreign scholars to understand China. This makes our public discourse shallow, often reduced to fact-checking isolated events or parroting narratives shaped elsewhere. Instead of crafting policies based on nuanced knowledge, we risk falling into a cycle of reacting to whatever China does, without a long-term vision.

Why It Matters Now More Than Ever

Fast forward four years, and the urgency is even greater. China is not just a neighbour; it is a global power whose moves affect India’s economy, security, technology, and diplomacy. Whether it’s in trade, border disputes, or international institutions, India’s choices are deeply tied to how well it understands China.

Without building expertise at home, India risks being unprepared. Imagine a scenario where our policymakers depend only on second-hand knowledge — it leaves us vulnerable to miscalculations and reactive strategies. For a country aspiring to be a major global power, that is not a sustainable approach.

Investing in Knowledge, Not Just Optics

If India wants a meaningful relationship with China, we need to go beyond the grand optics of summits. That means investing in:

• Language training so more Indians can access Chinese sources directly.

• Academic research in history, politics, and economics to understand China’s internal dynamics.

• Think tanks and institutions dedicated to China studies, with real funding and long-term support.

• People-to-people exchange, including student and cultural programs, to build grassroots understanding.

Only when India builds its own generation of scholars, analysts, and policymakers who can think in an informed way about China will we be able to craft proactive policies — instead of being stuck in defensive mode.

The Road Ahead

The India-China relationship will always be complex. There will be competition, disagreements, and areas of cooperation. But if India wants to navigate this complexity wisely, we must first equip ourselves with the tools to understand China in all its depth — not just through news headlines or political rhetoric.

As Prime Minister Modi visits China, it’s worth remembering that diplomacy is not just about high-level meetings. It’s also about knowledge, understanding, and long-term vision. If India does not invest in truly studying China now, we risk a future where our policies are shaped by guesswork, external influence, or momentary reactions.

In short, knowing China is not a luxury anymore — it is a necessity.