Indian journalist shares decade-long Beijing experience in talk

Indian Opinion Analysis

Pallavi Aiyar's decade in Beijing offers a rare Indian perspective on a neighbour that remains opaque to most Indians despite the shared border. Her insights come at a time when bilateral ties are strained after the 2020 Galwan clash and subsequent military standoffs. She bridges the gap between policy-level friction and everyday life in China, something few Indian journalists have done at length. The conversation, moderated by veteran diplomat Mani Shankar Aiyar, also touches on how Chinese society views India, a subject of growing relevance as India-China trade surpasses $100 billion annually. What readers will find most useful is the lived experience of navigating a society where the state permeates daily life, something Indian diplomats and travellers rarely share publicly. The session signals a continuing hunger for direct, unvarnished accounts from inside China, especially as official communication channels remain limited.