Review by Choice Review
Although his premise, that ``the Sino-Indian border problem is a threat not only to the peace in the region but also to peace in other parts of the world,'' is dubious, Lu has given us a useful brief review of the case. The border issue is far from resolved, but seems to hold low priority on the foreign policy agendas of both countries and of other states in the region. After a review of regional interests in Tibet beginning in the 7th century-Tibet and China, Britain and China over Tibet, the Simla Conference, and China and India over Tibet-the author condenses the border war itself into a scant 12-page summary chapter. In the remainder of the essay, he explains diplomatic and legal instruments and concepts relating to this border dispute: why mediation efforts failed, why treaties considered valid by one side were found invalid by the other, how the principles of occupation and watershed pertained both to the creation of this border conflict and to rational efforts to resolve it. Lu concludes by commending to Indian and Chinese leaders three measures which, in the light of international law and political reality, can lead to a formula for resolving the Indo-China border problem. In his final chapter, he commits the egregious error of placing Morarji Desai in the Indian Prime Minister's office from November 1969 until 1980. Documentation on the China side is unavoidably thin: a few Chinese studies on Tibet and Foreign Languages Press documents on the border question. Indian government White Papers supply most of the official references; throughout, Lu relies heavily on secondary sources. Of interest to students of international border issues.-M.T. Kennedy Jr., emeritus, Bryn Mawr College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
