PM Narendra Modi emphasised peace and stability along the India-China border during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
The talks unfolded in a setting where every gesture carried diplomatic weight.
Despite renewed engagement, the report highlighted that 60,000 soldiers remain deployed along the Himalayan border.
Former Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao wrote that the unsettled frontier, marked by conflicts in 1962, 1967, 1975, 1986, Doklam in 2017, and Galwan in 2020, continues to overshadow India-China ties.
Rao noted that authorities resumed pilgrimages to Kailash-Manasarovar after five years, prepared to restart direct flights, and planned to simplify visa processes.
However, she stressed that India’s $100 billion trade deficit with China exposes New Delhi’s dependence on Chinese inputs, especially in manufacturing and pharmaceuticals.
According to the report, both India and China committed to shaping their relationship as a partnership rather than a rivalry.
Rao warned, however, that India stands ‘like an archer on a thin iceberg’, where even minor tremors could disturb the balance.
The summit also showcased a symbolic tableau of Prime Minister Modi, President Xi, and Russian President Vladimir Putin together. Cameras captured handshakes, shared laughter, and moments of ease.
While Putin denounced Western ‘bullying’, Xi called for multipolarity, and PM Modi underlined India’s strategic autonomy, raised terrorism concerns, and backed a multipolar Asia.
The report concluded that Asia’s future depends on India and China moving beyond old disputes to shape a multipolar tomorrow with prudence and purpose.
Rao argued that the SCO stagecraft showcased a shifting order: India is asserting independence from both Beijing and Washington, Russia is affirming its relevance despite sanctions, and Asia is no longer being scripted by one superpower.
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