The rise of China is the greatest geopolitical event of our times. It is being debated and analysed at various levels. In India too, it is generating a lot of excitement. At times, it is seen as an opportunity while at other times, as a challenge. Yet, there is more opinion than comprehension about the rise of China in India. To understand more clearly the implications of China's rise, we need to understand China more deeply.

This book is an attempt at exploring the multi-dimensional nature of the rise of China and its implications for India at this critical juncture when the rise of China and India is being talked about in the same breath. Not surprisingly, this project was very ambitious in scale, given the desire to examine the implications of China's rise for India along the three axes: domestic developments in China, Chinese foreign policy and India-specific issues. It was only with the help, support and encouragement of a number of people that this project could come to fruition.

First, I would like to express my deep sense of gratitude to all the contributors who, despite their busy schedules, took time of to be a part of this volume. Most of them are senior scholars of China and I have learnt a lot from their work. Therefore, it was a privilege for me when they agreed to be a part of this project.