1 BOOK REVIEWS Book Reviews CHINA, INDIA AND THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ORDER EDITED BY MUTHUCUMARASWAMY SORNARAJAH AND JIANGYU W ANG (CAMBRIDGE, UK: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2010) 660 P AGES. PRICE £75.00 (HARDCOVER) ISBN 9780521110570. In China, India and the International Economic Order, Muthucumaraswamy Sornarajah and Jiangyu Wang from the National University of Singapore seek to explore the many dimensions of India and China’s involvement in the contemporary international economic order. Their project is very ambitious and most welcome, as many recent events and phenomena have affected, and many experts have questioned, the position of these two states within the architecture of international law. In his historical analysis of the relations between economics, politics and society, Karl Polanyi drew attention to the gradual changes away from the traditional market, which had historically existed as a meeting place for producers and consumers and, consequently, as a place to trade goods. 1 The 19 th century market evolved into an autonomous international system, independent from these social interactions, that began to challenge the role of the state. While it is true that states have since become economic territories, it is also true that globalisation has led to greater interdependence between states and between national economies. This interdependence is a major driver behind the re-emergence of India and China in the international economic order. These states’ contribution is of particular interest as it differs from that of the declining Western powers, and is significant not only economically and demographically, but also culturally. China and India are now major actors in multilateral organisations, despite not having played a major role in their establishment, and they have substantial interests in the economic regulation of trade and investment, and therefore have great potential to influence international economic institutions through rule-making or participation in dispute settlement. The book was published in August 2010 following an international symposium held in June 2006 at the National University of Singapore. Its aim was to study the resurgence of China and India as world powers from the perspective of international economic law and development. 2 The book is divided into three parts: ‘China, India and the Global Trade System’, ‘China, India and Regional Economic Integration in Asia’ and ‘Law and Development in China and India: Domestic Issues’. The four years between the symposium and publication of the book may help to explain the disparity in the weighting of the chapters; with nine papers in the first part, but only four in the second and three in the third. It is also regrettable that only law professors participated in the collective project. Although all eminent scholars of high repute, one does wonder 1 See generally Karl Polanyi, The Great Transformation (Beacon Press, 2 nd ed, 2001). 2 Muthucumaraswamy Sornarajah and Jiangyu Wang, ‘Preface’ in Muthucumaraswamy Sornarajah and Jiangyu Wang (eds), China, India and the International Economic Order (Cambridge University Press, 2010) xv.