Making Friends and Making 'Asia': Sino-Indian Friendship, 1947–1957.

This article examines the India–China Friendship Association (ICFA) and its role in promoting Sino-Indian friendship during the 1950s as a model for a peaceful, decolonized Asia amid Cold War tensions. Despite differing political and economic systems, the ICFA envisioned a horizontal relationship based on mutual respect and learning, contrasting with the hierarchical alliances of Cold War bloc politics. Rooted in shared colonial histories and aspirations for nation-building, the ICFA sought to unite diverse Indian political groups and local actors in a transnational solidarity project that emphasized cultural, economic, and political exchange. While the movement gained state support and popular enthusiasm, local branches adapted the friendship narrative to their specific contexts, revealing tensions between centralized coordination and grassroots dynamics. Ultimately, escalating border conflicts and the 1962 Sino-Indian War ended the ICFA’s efforts, marking the collapse of this cosmopolitan vision in favor of entrenched Cold War rivalries.