Panelist at ORF's China Chronicles Discussion: US-China and India’s Next Grand Move

The historic May 2026 summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Beijing has sent ripples across the geopolitical landscape. While the establishment of a "constructive relationship of strategic stability" and new bilateral Boards of Trade suggest a cautious attempt to manage competition, the underlying shift raises deep, structural questions for the Indo-Pacific.

For New Delhi, this potential thaw between Washington and Beijing is not just a spectator sport, it carries direct, high-stakes consequences for India's strategic autonomy.

This panel, curated by the Observer Research Foundation, brought together leading geostrategic experts to dissect the fallout of the summit. The discussion addressed the critical friction points where global diplomacy meets Indian security:

• The Himalayan Frontier: Will a US-China detente alter Beijing’s deterrence calculus along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)?

• The Future of the Quad: Does a transactional, "burden-sharing" approach from Trump 2.0 dilute the strategic relevance of minilateral partnerships?

• The Taiwan-Himalaya Link: How do shifts in the Taiwan Strait directly intersect with India’s naval and continental security frameworks?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq7Ub-p2ftE