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Rajiv Gandhi’s Summit Diplomacy: A Study of the Beijing Summit, 1988

Author

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  • Velpula Ramanujam

    (Doctoral Candidate, Diplomacy and Disarmament Division, Centre for International Politics, Organisation and Disarmament, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India)

  • Manish S. Dabhade

    (Assistant Professor, Diplomacy and Disarmament Division, Centre for International Politics, Organisation and Disarmament, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India)

Abstract

Summit diplomacy is the initiative to establish contact at the highest level of political leadership to transform the relationship between collectives. The heads of states are key decision makers in the nation. The objective of summit diplomacy is to establish a political dialogue at the highest level. The assumption is that once the understanding is established at the highest level, it can transform a conflicting relationship to friendly one. Rajiv Gandhi’s visit to China in 1988 ended three decades of estrangement between India and China. It is a classic example of the normalisation of relations between two countries. The proposed hypothesis is that the success of Rajiv Gandhi’s summit diplomacy depended on two factors: the leadership personality and the domestic factor. This article primarily deals with the question: How Rajiv Gandhi conducted summit diplomacy with China in 1988? The article traces the process through an analysis of archival work of private papers and diplomatic correspondence, oral history interviews, memoirs, and biographical works.

Suggested Citation

  • Velpula Ramanujam & Manish S. Dabhade, 2019. "Rajiv Gandhi’s Summit Diplomacy: A Study of the Beijing Summit, 1988," China Report, , vol. 55(4), pages 310-327, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:chnrpt:v:55:y:2019:i:4:p:310-327
    DOI: 10.1177/0009445519875244
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