Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivers a speech during a celebration of India’s Independence Day in New Delhi, India, on August 15, 2025. Photo: VCG
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China and attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1. This will be the Indian prime minister’s first visit to China after seven years, marking a shift in China-India relations from a period of diplomatic chill toward a slow but steady cycle of recovery. India’s active participation in the SCO Tianjin Summit reflects its repositioning of the multilateral cooperation framework. In recent months, a series of developments – from soldiers along the Himalayan border exchanging sweets to the resumption of Indian pilgrims’ route to Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region to the announcement that direct flights between the two countries could resume as early as possible – all signal that the two major countries are strengthening interaction on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.
The current recovery phase of China-India relations is primarily driven by shared strategic needs. Since the Galwan Valley incident, both sides have consumed considerable resources in managing border tensions. Increasingly, both countries recognize that allocating limited resources to economic development and more pressing strategic priorities – rather than endless border disputes – is the more rational choice. This month, the two sides reached 10 points of consensus on the boundary question, and the foreign ministers’ meeting achieved 10 outcomes, maintaining communication through diplomatic and military channels and avoiding unnecessary friction. Particularly, in the context of sluggish global economic recovery, both countries need a stable surrounding environment to promote domestic reforms and economic growth. In 2024, bilateral trade reached $138.478 billion, up 1.7 percent year-on-year. Bilateral decisions to resume direct flights, streamline visa procedures, resume border trade, and other measures indicate that economic and trade cooperation is about to enter the normal trajectory.
The warming of China-India relations is also closely related to profound changes in the global geopolitical landscape. Since the beginning of 2025, international turbulence has intensified: the protracted stalemate in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, mounting crises in the Middle East, and major shifts in US domestic politics and foreign policy have all had far-reaching impacts on the global order. US foreign policy has shifted from “supporting allies” to “transactional diplomacy,” and in some cases even adopted a posture of extracting benefits at the expense of allies and partners, which has directly worsened US-India relations. In his Independence Day address, the Indian prime minister said that “Modi will stand like a wall against any policy that threatens their interests. India will never compromise when it comes to protecting the interests of our farmers.” According to Indian officials, India is also advancing a trade diversification strategy with at least 40 countries. This strategic autonomy resonates with the independent foreign policy advocated by China, and together they constitute the endogenous driving force for the improvement of relations between the two countries.
Western media are keen to hype the “warming up” of China-India relations and simplistically attribute it to US tariffs on India, speculating about a so-called “anti-US alliance.” Such narratives seriously misread the independence of foreign policies of both China and India. A CNN commentary pointed out part of the truth: “India’s recalibration of ties with China is a textbook application of its policy of strategic autonomy, which prioritizes national interests over rigid bloc allegiance.” What makes some American media outlets uneasy about the prospect of “the dragon and the elephant dancing together” is essentially a residue of Cold War mentality. When Washington criticizes India for buying Russian oil, the implication is that it wants India to “pick a side” – the same logic behind drawing India into Quad, the so-called quadrilateral partnership among the US, Japan, Australia and India. The goal is nothing more than to turn India into a pawn in Washington’s so-called “Indo-Pacific Strategy” to contain China. Facts have shown that such small political cliques do not align with New Delhi’s pursuit of full strategic autonomy.
In the current era of frequent global challenges, closer China-India ties are not only a rational choice but also a shared responsibility. Looking back at history, India was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. More than 70 years ago, China, India and other countries jointly advocated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which remain a basic norm of international relations. Today, as the “twin engines” of Asia’s economic growth, key representatives of the Global South, and members of the SCO, BRICS, and the G20, China and India share a mission to push the international order toward greater democracy and fairness. Their interactions and cooperation within existing mechanisms are aimed at achieving mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, which is a natural phenomenon in the process of building a multipolar world, and a legitimate aspiration of emerging powers seeking a stronger voice.
Modi’s visit to China provides a rare window of opportunity for improving China-India relations. Observers note that the two major countries are now making efforts to manage their ties as “partners rather than rivals.” While challenges remain in bilateral relations, both sides’ willingness for pragmatic cooperation introduces a positive variable into global strategic balance. On the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India, it is hoped that New Delhi will earnestly implement the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, write a new chapter of “the dragon and the elephant dancing together” with a more open and inclusive mindset, and make due contributions as major countries to world peace, stability and prosperity.