India's relations with China are at a crossroads. Apart from examining the complex and dynamic bilateral relations, it is equally important to highlight the nuances of China's engagement with the countries in India's neighbourhood and understand the strategic implications that arise for New Delhi.

Shantanu Roy-Chaudhury's The China Factor explores Beijing's political, economic, and defence relations with Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, and weighs the dividends of the bilateral relationships to better comprehend the geopolitical subtleties in the region. How China's engagement in the region is also linked to Chinese President Xi Jinping's wider ambitions of national rejuvenation is also illuminated upon. The book subsequently draws out the implications for India, illuminates New Delhi's engagement with its neighbours, and suggests policy recommendations for a way forward.

Drawing from diverse sources, including government documents and literature from India, China, and the countries being studied, along with interviews with serving and former officials, The China Factor offers a detailed investigation into China's engagement with India's neighbourhood, which necessitates a deeper understanding as New Delhi manoeuvres the tectonic shifts in its external environment.

Shantanu Roy-Chaudhury is a Research Associate at the Centre for Air Power Studies in New Delhi, an autonomous defence and security think tank affiliated with the Indian Air Force. His work has been published in India and abroad.

He has an M.Phil from the University of Oxford (St. Antony's College) where he focused on the International Relations of South Asia, and a Bachelor's degree in History from Hindu College, University of Delhi.

Shantanu has lived in Mexico, Australia, the United Kingdom, and India. Apart from English and Hindi, he speaks Spanish and a little Mandarin.