Fourteen centuries ago, the Chinese monk Xuanzang spent years travelling through India and returned home with detailed knowledge of its religion, politics, economics and geography.

Today China has far more researchers studying India, and its universities have expanded area studies as Beijing seeks a better understanding of the world around it. Yet Chinese scholars themselves acknowledge that much of the work on India lacks depth, historical perspective and intellectual grounding.

Limited access to India explains part of the gap. But the article suggests the harder problem may lie elsewhere.

Why can studying India more still leave China understanding it less?