Vijay Gokhale book on China’s wars called incomplete

Deccan Herald reviews Vijay Gokhale's new book 'China's Wars: The Politics and Diplomacy Behind its Military Coercion', which examines five conflicts: the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis, the 1962 India-China border war, the 1969 Sino-Soviet border conflict, the China-Vietnam war, and grey-zone tactics against Taiwan and the Philippines. The review says the book fails its stated aim of offering insights for India's future, concluding that large-scale conflict with India is less likely but cannot be ruled out, calling China an "opportunistic power."

The review criticises the analysis as largely retrospective, noting China's last major war was in 1979 and that the book's conclusions can seem predetermined and subjective. It also says the assumption that China's goals remain unchanged over 70 years is questionable, though the author notes India itself has changed since 1962.

Despite these shortcomings, Deccan Herald says the book remains an engaging and essential read for foreign-policy practitioners, scholars, and students, offering a detailed 360-degree assessment of factors behind China's wars including geopolitics, domestic politics, propaganda, and tactics.