Customer Reviews

Asian Juggernaut : The Rise of China, India and Japan

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A very thorough, well researched and extensively documented book with penetrating analysis of the competition between China, Japan, and India for natural resources and leadership in Asia.

I was most impressed by the extensive documentation of Chinese military activities to contain India, including aggression from Tibet, military activities in Pakistan and Burma, projection of sea power into the Indian Ocean, and cartographic aggression on Chinese maps of Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh.

Agrarian unrest in China is another uncertainty that has been growing, and there is no way to know if the Communist Party can contain it over the long term.

An interesting section on the the Chinese use of fanciful history, where they use legends or interpret or reinvent history to justify otherwise weak claims to Tibet, Taiwan, the Spratly Islands, Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh.

Where China has the most conflict with India and Japan is over oil. All of them are very dependent on the Middle East, particularly Iran. That is why China has been using its membership on the UN Security Council to protect Iran from nuclear sanctions.

Extensive source lists for every chapter, and an appendix with the full text of significant diplomatic documents.

At a time when Asia is beginning to shape our world, this book provides an excellent overview of the strengths and challenges of Asia. It places various issues in a larger geopolitical framework. In other words, it examines the pressing issues challenging Asia without losing sight of the big picture.

Much of the book is about where Asia may be headed. To emphasize Asia's rise and continuing challenges, it offers a fascinating comparison of China, India, and Japan, the main Asian powers and largest economies. It is written in a very readable style and often allows facts to speak for themselves.