Shared concerns over Washington spur China-India to mend diplomatic ties

India and China have agreed to boost trade and resume direct flights in a major diplomatic breakthrough this week, as the world's two most populous nations seek to repair ties strained by a deadly border clash in 2020 and amid US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy.

The effort to rebuild India-China relations coincides with tensions between New Delhi and Washington, following the Trump administration’s imposition of steep tariffs on India. According to Al Jazeera reporting, these US measures aim to address the US trade deficit with India and penalise it for trading in sanctioned Russian oil.

The disruption caused by Trump’s trade wars has opened the door for Asia’s largest and third-largest economies to mend diplomatic and economic relations, reflected in the outcomes of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s two-day visit to India that began on August 19.

What did they agree on?

Discussions spanned withdrawing tens of thousands of troops amassed along the Himalayan border, increasing investment and trade flows, hosting more bilateral events, and improving travel access.

The two nations agreed to reopen several trading routes—namely the Lipulekh Pass, Shipki La Pass, and Nathu La Pass. An expert group will also explore “early harvest” steps, meaning mini-agreements that can be quickly implemented before a larger deal is concluded, a move India had previously resisted.

Previously, India opposed arrangements that allowed China partial gains without resolving territorial integrity concerns. Critics accused the government of ceding ground to Beijing.

Elsewhere, China reportedly agreed to address India’s concerns over export curbs on fertilizers, rare earth minerals, and tunnel-boring machines, according to Indian media.

When asked about the reports, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said she was not familiar with them.

“Let me say broadly that we stand ready to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with relevant countries and regions and jointly keep global industrial and supply chains stable,” she said during a briefing following Wang’s visit.

New Delhi and Beijing also agreed to resume direct flights, improve river-sharing data, and lift certain visa restrictions for tourists, businesses, and journalists.

Direct flights stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing travellers to take indirect routes via hubs such as Hong Kong or Singapore. Relations further soured after the 2020 stand-off at their Himalayan border, which saw troop fatalities on both sides and prompted both countries to postpone resuming air travel.

What the future could hold

Wang Yi’s meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval pave the way for Modi’s first visit to China in seven years, scheduled for late August.

“Stable, predictable, constructive ties between India and China will contribute significantly to regional as well as global peace and prosperity,” Modi posted on X after meeting Wang.

Doval described a “new environment” of “peace and tranquillity” and noted that “the setbacks that we faced in the last few years were not in our interest,” adding that “delimitation and boundary affairs” had been discussed.

A readout from China’s Foreign Ministry quoted Wang telling Doval that “the stable and healthy development of China-India relations is in the fundamental interests of the two countries’ people.”

The strain in India-US relations has pushed New Delhi to repair ties with China, which supplies military equipment to Pakistan and supported Islamabad in the recent conflict. As the article argues, the developments may also strengthen BRICS cooperation, with India and China hosting the 2026 and 2027 summits, respectively. Trump has repeatedly criticized BRICS, warning members against challenging the US dollar.

By Nazrin Sadigova