On August 31st, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi traveled to China to meet President Xi Jinping at a security summit in Tianjin. The meeting aimed to discuss mending China–India relations amid growing tensions with the United States. 

The conference holds great value because Modi has not been to China in over seven years, following previous tensions linked to the Galwan Valley Incident in 2020. The incident led to China and India partaking in various clashes along eastern Ladakh, near the de facto border between India and China. While there were no firearms present, both sides suffered casualties due to hand-to-hand combat. The skirmishes sparked great tension between the two countries, leading to distrust and political unease. Since 2020, China and India’s relations have been essentially put on hold due to the skirmishes and other issues, including China’s close relationship with India’s rival Pakistan and economic and trade issues between the two nations.

The meeting also comes at a critical time due to India’s strained relations with the United States, where tariffs on Indian exports have doubled to 50% in response to New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil. Now that the U.S. has put the Indian economy under threat, a closer relationship with China is increasingly advantageous for Modi.

According to the Editor in Chief of The China-Global South Project, Eric Olander, the tensions between China and India may be on the back burner today because they have more commonalities than differences. He notes, “We must be very cautious reading too much into this. It’s going to be a slow grinding process.” It is clear that while China and India have indeed taken the first steps towards reconciliation, “there are going to be setbacks.” According to Olander, it is also critical to note that “the Indians are very cautious about China’s encroachment into the Indian Ocean.” When asked if Olander thinks the United States should be concerned about this reboot, he said, “The U.S. just doesn’t care right now. We are talking about Donald Trump and an America First foreign policy.”

While China and India’s efforts to reboot their relationship are a step towards a peaceful coexistence, it will be a slow and complex process. It responds to U.S. tariffs on India’s exports and tensions between the U.S. and China. At first glance, the relationship between India and China could be headed in a more positive direction, focusing on mending the tension that the Galwan Valley Incident caused. However, patience and a peaceful long-term resolution are necessary. As mentioned, the two countries are likely to have disagreements about issues that have been sources of tension for years. There needs to be in-depth talks on conflict management, border transparency, and economic concerns to see real progress. While the China–India reboot is a first step in the right direction, only time will tell if the two countries’ relations will improve.