India, China Work on Improving Relations Amid U.S. Volatility
India and China rebuild ties after New Delhi's rupture with Trump.
From tentative talks on reviving direct flights to a string of planned high-level visits, China and India — often at odds over territory and influence — are quietly testing the waters for closer ties. The shift comes as both navigate an unpredictable White House under U.S. President Donald Trump.
Beijing’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, is expected in New Delhi next week for discussions with India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on their long-contested Himalayan frontier, according to two people familiar with the plans. It will be only their second such meeting since the deadly 2020 border clash that plunged relations to their lowest point in decades.
Later this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to China for the first time in seven years, where he’s slated to meet President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
These steps follow a gradual thaw in the five-year standoff between the two Asian giants. An agreement last October on patrolling protocols along the Himalayan border eased tensions that had strained trade, investment, and even air links.
Analysts say the rapprochement has accelerated in recent weeks, aided by friction between New Delhi and Washington. Trump’s decision to impose a 50% tariff on Indian exports — among the steepest faced by any U.S. partner — has soured a relationship that had seen steady gains for decades.
By contrast, Washington and Beijing this week agreed to extend their tariff truce by 90 days, avoiding a sharp escalation in duties on hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of goods.
China and India have already taken steps to restart direct flights, grounded since the pandemic, and are exploring ways to lower trade barriers. Talks are also underway to reopen cross-border commerce at three Himalayan passes.
Published in Daily Pak, August 15th, 2025
