India–China Diplomacy: The Unresolved Border And The Shadow of Washington

New Delhi : On the morning of 12 September, as Chinese President Xi Jinping's aircraft left Beijing for New Delhi for the 18th BRICS summit, the moment felt bittersweet and tinged with realpolitik.

 

On the one hand, there was the weight of expectations that India and China had of each other, while on the other, the larger complications around the border and past patterns cautioned against much optimism.

 

In the past, India has been a victim of China’s double-speak – on the exact day of Xi Jinping’s visit to India in September 2024, at least 200 Chinese PLA troops crossed the Chumar sector in eastern Ladakh. The staggering infrastructure development on its side of the border by China since the Galwan crisis could itself comprise a casus belli. Six years after Galwan, the freeze in India–China relations has thawed, but the border has not. Yet, it is heartening to see India and China taking steps to impart momentum to border talks.