The Silk Road Rediscovered: How Indian and Chinese Companies Are Becoming Globally Stronger by Winning in Each Other s Markets

Foreword

Are India and China natural rivals? Do their deeply different and contrasting histories, cultures, institutions, and economies lead them to compete in a zero-sum manner? Or can these near reverse-image giants complement and attract one another, building a common future? The fate of one-third of humanity lies in the balance of these questions.

For nearly a half century, the dominant view of American political and economic leaders has been that Asia's two great civilizations are destined to clash. Asia's two giants have given little reason for foreigners to believe that they are capable of forging a common future.

I have experienced the pessimistic view first hand—in America, and in both India and China. My first glimpse was in Washington, ...