EVENTS

The current turbulence and uncertainty as a result of Trump's tariff wars in the current geo-economic and geopolitical context, renders the prospects of a deal between China and the US to jointly manage the world and prevent it from plunging into economic and financial crisis, seemingly impossible. Most worryingly, in both the short-and long-term, structural differences and political contradictions between the two economic superpowers - China and the United States- are, arguably, moving them towards head-on confrontation. The reason is simple: the US political elite is determined that its hegemony must be maintained at all costs and that means the subordination of China. China has strongly retaliated saying if the US persists in harming its interests, China will take countermeasures resolutely and fight until the end. Even as the entire post-war order faces the dangers of collapse, the US is determined to ensure there is no multipolar world. On the other hand, the CPC leadership in China has stepped up its efforts globally to preserve and consolidate a multipolar world. Hence, what we see today are signs of a division of the globe into three blocs - one centred on the US, one on Europe and the third involving China and the so-called Global South group of countries. It is in the backdrop of this macro international financial and security crises, that the ICS Dialogue will discuss the micro picture of the future of India-China bilateral relations.

Discussants

Colonel Zhou Bo Senior Colonel Zhou Bo (retired) began his military service in 1979. He held key roles in China’s Ministry of National Defence, including in foreign affairs. Zhou served as Defence Attaché to Namibia and led security cooperation efforts. He is now a senior fellow at Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy. Zhou has published over 180 pieces in top international outlets like Foreign Affairs. He has spoken at the Shangri-La Dialogue and Munich Security Conference. He supervises foreign post-graduate officers at the PLA National Defence University. His latest book, Should the World Fear China? was published in April 2025.

Vijay K. Nambiar is a veteran Indian diplomat who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1967. Over the span of his illustrious career, he held several high-profile positions that spanned critical moments in Indian and global diplomacy. He specialised in Chinese studies and served in Beijing, Yugoslavia, Algeria, Afghanistan, Malaysia, China, and Pakistan. As Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs, he played a key role in Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s 1988 China visit. Ambassador Nambiar was India’s Permanent Representative to the UN (2002-2004) and later served as Deputy National Security Adviser. Post-retirement, he was a Special Adviser to Kofi Annan and Chef de Cabinet to Ban Ki-moon. He also contributed as Adviser on Myanmar, leveraging his geopolitical expertise.

Moderator

Hemant Adlakha is a professor of Chinese at the Centre for Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies, JNU, New Delhi. He is also Vice Chairperson and Honorary Fellow at the ICS, Delhi. His areas of research include political discourse in the PRC and modern Chinese Literature and Culture. He is on the editorial board of China Report.

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