India, China strengthen ties amid Trump’s global shake-up.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Delhi has marked a cautious but significant thaw in ties between India and China. Both nations have agreed to resume suspended trade talks and reaffirmed their commitment to finding a peaceful resolution to the lingering border dispute. The visit, seen as a diplomatic breakthrough, comes at a time of global uncertainty. Leaders in Delhi and Beijing stressed cooperation, dialogue, and mutual respect as the foundation for rebuilding trust and advancing bilateral relations.
India and China have signaled a rare moment of warmth in their often uneasy relationship, hailing what both sides described as “steady progress” during the visit of China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, to New Delhi this week.
The renewed outreach comes against the backdrop of a rapidly shifting global order, particularly in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff regime and sanctions policy that has left countries recalibrating their alliances. Both India and China, though longstanding rivals, appear to be finding space to cooperate amid the turbulence.
Steps Toward NormalizationAccording to statements released by China’s foreign ministry, the two sides have agreed to resume direct passenger flights—a pledge that was first floated in January but had yet to be implemented. In addition, the countries will begin issuing journalist visas again and open up avenues for business and cultural exchanges, signaling that both governments want to restore people-to-people contact as well as trade flows.
On social media, Prime Minister Modi noted that the dialogue reflected “respect for each other’s interests and sensitivities,” words that underscored India’s willingness to balance competition with cooperation. Meanwhile, Beijing described the relationship as entering a “steady development track,” urging both sides to “trust and support each other.”
The carefully crafted language suggests a desire to set aside past acrimony, even if underlying tensions remain. For Modi, the meeting with Wang also sets the stage for his expected trip to Beijing in October, where he is scheduled to meet President Xi Jinping. That visit will be his first to China since 2018 and is being viewed as an important test of whether the two leaders can stabilize ties after years of distrust.
A Difficult HistoryRelations between the Asian giants have been fragile at best since the border clashes of 2020, when soldiers from both sides fought in brutal hand-to-hand combat in the Galwan Valley of the remote Himalayas. That confrontation, the worst outbreak of violence between the neighbors in decades, left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead.
The incident not only froze political dialogue but also deepened mutual suspicion. In the years since, India and China have fortified their border regions, rushed in additional troops, and engaged in a slow-moving series of negotiations to reduce the risk of further bloodshed. While those talks yielded agreements to withdraw some forces and regulate border patrols, the trust deficit has remained high.
Still, there have been cautious steps forward. Modi and Xi met last year in Russia for the first time in five years, breaking a long diplomatic silence. That meeting, followed by Wang’s trip to Delhi this week, appears to have paved the way for fresh dialogue.
Talks Focused on BordersIndia’s foreign ministry confirmed that Wang’s discussions with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval centered on “de-escalation, delimitation and boundary affairs.” Chinese state media used slightly different phrasing, saying the two sides had agreed to “explore the possibility of advancing boundary demarcation negotiations.”
For Beijing, such language keeps the door open to talks without committing to hard concessions. For New Delhi, it is a chance to show its public that it is engaging China from a position of caution but openness.
Wang himself, speaking after the talks, acknowledged the difficulties of recent years. “The setbacks we experienced in the past few years were not in the interest of the people of our two countries,” he said. “We are heartened to see the stability that is now restored in the borders.”
Geopolitical UndercurrentsExperts caution, however, that the broader picture remains complex.
Indeed, India finds itself in a delicate position. On the one hand, it values its strategic partnership with Washington, especially as a counterweight to Chinese influence in Asia. On the other, Trump’s unpredictable trade and sanctions regime has forced India to reconsider just how much it can rely on the U.S. for stability.
For Beijing, which faces mounting pressure from Washington as well, improving relations with India helps reduce the number of fronts where it faces hostility.
Looking AheadAfter his visit to India, Wang is scheduled to travel to Pakistan, a longtime ally of China and a bitter rival of India. Beijing has said it wants to “enhance friendly cooperation with both countries,” though that balancing act will not be easy.
For now, the resumption of flights, visas, and trade talks may seem modest, but in the context of recent history, they are meaningful steps. The real test will come in October, when Modi and Xi meet face-to-face in Beijing. That encounter could determine whether this latest thaw is the beginning of a more stable partnership or just another brief pause in a long history of mistrust.
Either way, what is clear is that both countries recognize the need to talk, even if they cannot yet agree on everything. And in an era of global uncertainty, even talking is a step forward.