The bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, held on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, marked a rare moment of diplomatic realism and strategic recalibration between two Asian giants navigating an increasingly fractured global order.
At a time when the US is weaponising trade, evident in the recent 50 percent tariffs on key Indian exports, India and China have signalled the intent to decouple their bilateral trajectory from third-party pressures. Both Modi and Xi emphasised “strategic autonomy”, a phrase that, in this context, served as a rejection of the zero-sum geopolitics shaping today’s multi-polar world.
Modi’s assertion that India-China relations “must be grounded in mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity” and “not viewed through the lens of a third country” was timely and pointed. Xi’s metaphor that “the dragon and the elephant must come together” framed the ties in civilisational terms, but did not shy away from contemporary imperatives.
Substantively, the meeting tackled two core tensions: terrorism and trade. Modi highlighted cross-border terrorism as a priority, drawing attention to the shared vulnerability both countries face.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s statement that China has shown “understanding and cooperation” is a welcome, if cautiously optimistic, signal, particularly given Pakistan’s presence in the SCO and Beijing’s complex ties with Islamabad.
The second area of friction, trade, saw both leaders acknowledge the pressing need to address India’s ballooning deficit with China. Misri was forthright in recognising that narrowing this gap “will contribute to a change in perception in the relationship”.
The agreement to deepen trade and investment while boosting policy predictability and direct flights adds a layer of economic practicality to the diplomatic symbolism.
Importantly, both leaders reaffirmed that they are “partners, not rivals”. With global supply chains rattled, and the Global South seeking a stronger voice, India and China, despite deep-rooted differences, seem aware that durable cooperation serves their national and regional interests. Yet, trust must be earned, not merely declared.
Peace on the border remains a precondition for any lasting breakthrough. Resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and direct flights are steps towards rebuilding people-to-people trust. This meeting may not transform the relationship overnight, but it has helped place it back on a more constructive—albeit cautiously optimistic—forward-looking path.