This edited volume provides a holistic explanation for China’s incursions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in May 2020. It seeks to inform policy and build a bridge between policy and practice.

Why did China intrude along the disputed border with India in May 2020? This question has baffled governments, policy makers, scholars and analysts across the globe. There is no clarity even in the Indian government regarding China’s intrusions at multiple points along the LAC in May 2020. Contributors examine factors such as China’s domestic politics, China’s foreign and security policies and strategies, China’s strategic culture, domestic factors and politics in India, India’s infrastructure development along the LAC, China’s rising material capabilities and the shift in the overall balance of power between India and China, India’s foreign policy especially India-US relations, Sino-Indian relations and Sino-Indian rivalry in the Indo-Pacific. Contributors to this edited volume seek to inform Indian policy makers by providing solutions to enhance India’s deterrence against China and prevent further land grab and also examine the possibility of a conflict or a wider border war between the two “Asian giants.” Thus, this edited volume seeks to inform policy and build a bridge between policy and practice.

This book will be relevant for scholars and researchers specializing in international relations, Asian geopolitics, security studies and conflict resolution. This book will also appeal to policy makers, involved in foreign and security policies.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of India Review.

Raj Verma is Professor of International Relations and Foreign Policy and Director, Center for South and Central Asia at Shanghai International Studies University, China. He is the editor/co-editor of seven special issues/sections and the author of more than 40 articles published in journals. His research is focused on India’s and China’s foreign and security policy, Sino–India–US–Russia–Pakistan relations, Asian security, the Global South and the emerging world order, and International Relations theory.