In 1962, a border war erupted between China and India. Fifty-five years have passed, and China, India, and the whole world have all changed profoundly. Both China and India represent the most successful examples of the “emerging economies” in today’s world, increasingly playing huge positive roles in world affairs. Yet, the dark shadow of the war fifty-five years ago has lingered, becoming a serious barrier blocking two great nations from developing a compressive cooperative relationship based on high-level mutual trust. In the 1950s, Chinese-Indian friendship was highlighted as one of “Bhai-Bhai/brother-brother.” Why, then, did the war in 1962 occur? Why is the war’s negative impact still there after more than a half century? What lessons may people learn from that tragic episode of history, so as to benefit the two nations and the whole world in the 21st century and beyond? These will be the themes of discussion at this roundtable.

The roundtable is sponsored by the Center for Global Asia. and chaired by Shen Zhihua (沈志华), Director, Institute for Studies on China and Its Neighboring Countries Regions, and Professor of History, East China Normal University and Chen Jian (陈兼), Distinguished Global Network Professor of History, NYU Shanghai / NYU.

Participants include Tansen Sen (沈丹森), Director of Center for Global and Asia and Professor of History, NYU Shanghai, Global Network Professor, NYU, Yao Yu (姚昱), Professor of History, East China Normal University and Yao Yuanmei (姚远梅), Associate Professor History, East China Normal University.

The event will be marked by two important announcements: The launch of the NYUSH-ECNU Joint Research Center on Global History-Economy-Culture and publication of Professor Tansen Sen’s new book, India, China, and the World: A Connected History.