Status and Trajectory of India-China Relations

Introduction

In June 2020, Indian and Chinese forces engaged in a deadly clash along their disputed border in the Ladakh region. It was the deadliest confrontation since the 1962 war. Subsequently, bilateral ties between India and China deteriorated to their lowest level in decades. In recent months, however, China-India ties have begun to thaw.

Last October, India and China struck a border patrol deal . Indian Prime Minister Modi and China’s leader Xi Jinping subsequently met at the BRICS summit in Kazan—their first meeting in five years. That was followed by a round of talks by their top officials just a few weeks ago.

To discuss the status and trajectory of India-China relations, including how the second Trump presidency and other geopolitical developments are likely to influence that relationship, host Bonnie Glaser is joined by Dr. Tanvi Madan. Tanvi is a senior fellow in the Center for Asia Policy Studies in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution. She is author of the book “Fateful Triangle: How China Shaped U.S.-India Relations During the Cold War.”

Episode Highlights

[01:45] October 2024 Border Patrol Deal

[06:40] Impetus for Stabilizing the Sino-Indian Relations

[10:50] Assessment of Wang Yi-Ajit Doval Meeting

[15:26] Reviving Confident-Building Measures (CBMs)

[20:30] Overstating the Thaw in Sino-Indian Relations

[25:54] Bilateral Trade Volume and Economic Relations

[31:58] India-China Relations Moving Forward