Research Paper for ISEAS (Yusof Ishak Institute): Between Rivalry and Rapprochement - The Trials and Trajectory of India-China Relations

After five years of tensions, India–China relations have entered a phase of cautious and fragile re-engagement. The meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi with President Xi Jinping in Kazan in 2024 and Tianjin in 2025 signal a shared desire to stabilise bilateral ties.

These gestures are unlikely to ease the deeper structural faultlines. Key among these is the asymmetry in the balance of power between the two countries, along with their respective relationships with the United States.

By Manoj Kewalramani

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