India’s Modi meets China’s top diplomat as Asian powers rebuild ties

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed “steady progress” in improving relations with China after meeting its top diplomat Tuesday following a yearslong standoff between the nuclear-armed Asian powers.

Modi noted “respect for each other’s interests and sensitiveness” in a statement on social media after meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. China’s foreign ministry said the countries have entered a “steady development track” and should “trust and support” each other.

Wang on his visit also has met with Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and national security adviser Ajit Doval about the countries’ disputed border in the Himalayan mountains. India’s Foreign Ministry said Wang and Doval discussed “deescalation, delimitation and boundary affairs.”

The two sides agreed to resume direct flights and issuance of journalist visas and to facilitate business and cultural exchanges, according to a statement from China’s Foreign Ministry.

Relations plummeted in 2020 after security forces clashed along the border. Four Chinese soldiers and 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the worst violence in decades, freezing high-level political engagements.

“The setbacks we experienced in the past few years were not in the interest of the people of our two countries. We are heartened to see the stability that is now restored in the borders,” Wang said Monday.

Modi emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility on the border and reiterated India’s commitment to a “fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question,” his office said in a statement.

The rebuilding of India-China ties coincides with friction between New Delhi and Washington after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on India, a longtime ally seen as a counterbalance against China’s influence in Asia. India is part of the Quad security alliance with the U.S., along with Australia and Japan.

‘Compromise at the highest political level’

The chill in relations after the deadly clash in 2020 between troops in the Ladakh region affected trade, diplomacy and air travel, as both sides deployed tens of thousands of security forces in border areas.

Some progress has been made since then.

Last year, India and China agreed to a pact on border patrols and withdrew additional forces along some border areas. Both countries continue to fortify their border by building roads and rail networks.

In recent months, the countries have increased official visits and discussed easing some trade restrictions, movement of citizens and visas for businesspeople. In June, Beijing allowed pilgrims from India to visit holy sites in Tibet.

Last week, India’s foreign ministry said the two countries were discussing resuming trade through three points along their 3,488-kilometer (2,167-mile) border.

Both sides will work together toward a consensus on border issues, Wang said after his meeting with Doval, according to China’s Foreign Ministry.

No specifics were given on what was decided.

“Settling the boundary issue between the two countries requires political compromise at the highest political level,” said Manoj Joshi, a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank. He also served as a member of the advisory board for India’s National Security Council.

Modi plans to visit China soon

The thaw between Beijing and New Delhi began last October when Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at a summit of emerging economies in Russia. It was the first time the leaders had spoken in person since 2019.

Modi is set to meet Xi when he travels to China late this month — his first visit in seven years — to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional grouping formed by China, Russia and others to counter U.S. influence in Asia.

Earlier this year, Xi called for India and China’s relations to take the form of a “dragon-elephant tango” — a dance between the countries’ emblems.

The US and Pakistan play roles in the thaw

The renewed engagement comes as New Delhi’s ties with Trump are fraying. Washington has imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods, which includes a penalty of 25% for purchasing Russian crude oil. The tariffs take effect Aug. 27.

India has not backed down, instead signing more agreements with Russia to deepen economic cooperation.

Trump’s renewed engagement with India’s archrival, Pakistan, has also encouraged New Delhi’s overtures to China, said Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, a former leader of the Indian military’s northern command.

In June, Trump hosted Pakistan’s army chief for a White House lunch and later announced an energy deal with Islamabad to jointly develop the country’s oil reserves. Both followed Trump’s claims of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after the two sides traded military strikes in May.

That clash saw Pakistan use Chinese-made military jets and missiles against India.

“China is heavily invested in Pakistan and, practically speaking, you can’t have any expectation that Beijing will hold back support to Islamabad,” Hooda said. “But you can’t have two hostile neighbors on your borders and simultaneously deal with them also.”

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Associated Press writers Aijaz Hussain in Srinagar, India, and Huizhong Wu in Bangkok and video producer Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed to this report.