- Prime Minister Modi landed in China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, marking his first visit since the 2020 Galwan clashes that strained bilateral ties. The visit carries both symbolic and strategic weight, as it comes after years of border tensions and diplomatic freeze, offering a window to assess the trajectory of India-China relations.
India-China Relations
India and China, two of the world’s oldest civilizations and fastest-growing economies, share a 3,488 km border and a complex relationship that oscillates between cooperation and competition. From the early post-Independence optimism of “Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai” to the confrontations at Galwan in 2020, the trajectory has been marked by both convergence and deep divergences.
Evolution of India-China Relations
- Ancient Contacts: Written records of contact between India and China date back to at least the 2nd century B.C., marking a long history of cultural exchange.
- Silk Road: The Silk Road was a crucial trade route that facilitated economic and cultural exchanges, with Buddhism spreading from India to East Asia along these paths.
- Fa Xian’s Visit: Chinese monk Fa Xian visited India, stayed for a decade, and translated many Sanskrit Buddhist texts into Chinese, enriching both cultures.
- Bodhidharma’s Influence: In 5th century AD, Bodhidharma, a South Indian monk, became the first patriarch of the Shaolin Monastery in China, influencing Chinese martial arts and philosophy.
- Xuan Zang’s Journey: Xuan Zang (Hiuen Tsang) travelled to India during Harsha Vardhana’s reign in the 7th century AD to acquire Buddhist scriptures, strengthening the cultural ties.
India-China Relations: Convergences
- Economic Relations: In FY 2024–25, India’s bilateral trade with China stood at around $127.7 billion, making China India’s second-largest trading partner after the United States.
- Multilateral Platforms: Both are active members of BRICS, SCO, G20, pushing for multipolarity, reform of global institutions, and greater voice for the Global South.
- Climate & Development: Shared positions on climate finance, CBDR (Common But Differentiated Responsibilities), WTO reforms, and global development financing.
- Cultural & People-to-People: Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, Buddhist tourism, student exchanges.
India-China Relations: Divergences
- Territorial Disputes: Aksai Chin (controlled by China, claimed by India), Arunachal Pradesh (claimed by China).
- Recurrent standoffs like Doklam (2017), Galwan (2020), friction at Depsang and Demchok.
- Trade Imbalance: Trade deficit with China rose from $1.1 billion in 2003-04 to $99.2 billion in 2024-25, accounting for about 35% of India’s total trade imbalance in the last fiscal.
- China supplies almost all of India’s critical tech inputs—from electronics (~97%) to renewables (~80%).
- Strategic Rivalry: China’s “all-weather friendship” with Pakistan (CPEC through PoK). India’s deepening ties with U.S., QUAD seen as counter-China moves.
- Strategic Encirclement: The ‘String of Pearls‘ initiative increases China’s military presence in the Indian Ocean, posing direct challenges to India’s maritime security.
- Five Fingers of Tibet: China’s strategic approach in Tibet, articulated historically as the ‘Five Fingers Policy’, raises Indian concerns over influence in Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, and Arunachal Pradesh.
- Water Security: China, as the upper riparian, wields hydrological leverage through dam-building on the Brahmaputra, raising concerns for India’s water security.
Steps Taken Towards Normalising Relations
- LAC Disengagement: Military disengagement protocols at Depsang and Demchok were fully completed by late 2024.
- Border Trade: The Nathu La trade route in Sikkim officially reopened, signalling intent to stabilise frontier economies.
- Connectivity Reopened: Direct flights and visa issuance for businesspersons, exchange of journalists, reviving people-to-people linkages.
- Special Representatives’ meeting in 2024 revived Track-I diplomatic engagement on border resolution.
- River Data Sharing: China resumed Brahmaputra and Sutlej flood data sharing in 2025 under a renewed hydro-diplomatic framework.
- Pilgrimage Resumed: The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra resumed in April 2025 as a people-centric confidence-building initiative.
Way Forward
- Permit Chinese investment selectively in low-risk, non-strategic sectors to rebuild basic trust.
- Institutionalise joint border verification and hotline-based alert protocols to prevent miscalculation.
- Propose long-term water-sharing rules beyond seasonal data to build hydrological trust.
- Launch low-sensitivity trade packages to revive stalled economic ties without strategic concessions.
- Use BRICS-SCO to push functional cooperation while keeping border issues on a parallel track.
- Launch academic, media, and youth initiatives to counter entrenched threat narratives.
India-China ties remain marked by cooperation and contestation. A calibrated approach—engaging where possible, deterring where necessary—will be critical for India to safeguard national interests while contributing to Asian stability.
