Today, the way economic globalization has transformed the world and the circumstances that have arisen after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed arbitrary tariffs, the growing closeness between India and China can be called the demand of the time. On the international stage, there are neither permanent enemies nor permanent friends. It is true that after independence, India’s friendship remained with the Soviet Union while Pakistan’s with the United States. During the tenure of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India–China relations began on a very cordial note. At that time, the slogan of “Hindi-Chini Bhai-Bhai” (Indians and Chinese are brothers) echoed, but the Chinese aggression of 1962 filled the ties between the two countries with such bitterness that even today India remains haunted by the war of 1962. It is true that any sensitive nation should not forget its past, but it is equally true that with changing times, the duties of an era also change.
This year’s biggest meeting so far had the eyes of the entire nation fixed on it. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a grand meeting. This meeting came at a time when both India and China were facing Trump’s tariff war and his business threats.
Prime Minister Modi and Xi Jinping both understood the need for the two countries to come together, and both nations agreed to cooperate. In fact, America has created such circumstances that it has become necessary for India and China to come closer. Against Trump’s high-handedness, a new economic world order could emerge. The two neighbors — also the most populous countries in the world — stable and harmonious bilateral relations between them can have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity. For a multipolar world, this is a positive signal.
India–China relations have repeatedly been tested on the scale of trust. China’s incursions, its claims on Arunachal, the prolonged standoff on the Eastern Ladakh border, the clashes in the Galwan Valley, China’s assistance to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, and some other reasons have kept breaking that trust. Yet, after the tariff war, such signals were emerging that China wanted to come closer to India. In March 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a confidential letter to Indian President Droupadi Murmu, in which he wrote that if any agreement were to take place between India and the U.S., it could harm China. Bloomberg’s report cannot be ignored. According to media reports, after this letter, the meaning of India–China relations began to change.
Before this, Modi and Xi Jinping had met in Kazan, Russia, in 2024 and in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2023. Both times the forum was the BRICS summit. Just a few days earlier, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had come to India to participate in the 24th meeting of Special Representatives on border issues. During his visit, he also met PM Modi. Before that, he had met NSA Ajit Doval and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar. Even then, signals were beginning to emerge from China about moving onto a new path of friendship. China knows well that if it wants to strengthen its hold in the Global South and compete with America in global trade, it will have to join hands with a neighbor like India. Without India, it will not be able to take its trade to the heights it aspires to. But the truth is also that along with trade, regional balance is equally important.
At this time, India too is worried about its trade. Both countries have taken several measures to normalize relations. These measures include maintaining peace on the border, reopening border trade, and restarting direct flight services. During the SCO summit, Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. Countries like Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus are also participating in this summit. Nearly 43 percent of the world’s population lives in the countries participating in the SCO summit. From a practical perspective, if apart from the India–Russia–China triangle all these countries unite, then Trump will not be able to harm anyone.
India’s concerns also remain regarding Pakistan and terrorism. Today, Pakistan has become almost a colony of China. Even during Operation Sindoor, Pakistan used Chinese weapons and satellite systems. India will not try to break the friendship between Pakistan and China, but China must pay attention to India’s concerns. How good it would be if the past is forgotten, and India and China resolve their border disputes, with China respecting India’s geographical boundaries. As far as trade is concerned, China too will have to open its markets for India. The India–China trade deficit reaching $99.2 billion is worrying. China is now dominating India’s imports in almost every industrial category. In terms of bilateral relations, with a strategic and long-term perspective, both countries must move forward based on mutual respect and shared interests.
All in all, Modi and Xi Jinping have sent a strong message to Trump. Now, even many American leaders and experts are realizing that by provoking India, Trump has lost a strong partner in Asia.