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India and China slowly thaw ties amid US trade threats

Aug 19, 2025, 6:29pm EDT
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India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hand with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
India’s Press Information Bureau/Handout via Reuters

India’s leader hailed “stable ties” with Beijing after meeting China’s foreign minister on Tuesday, as the Asian neighbors — both under pressure from Washington — look to rebuild relations.

In what an Indian official called an “upward trend” in ties after a 2020 border clash, Beijing vowed to address New Delhi’s need for rare earths, and India’s prime minister confirmed he would soon make his first visit to China in seven years. Analysts say the easing of tensions could gain momentum from US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats on both.

“Renowned for his claims of mediating peace between rival nations, Trump may have inadvertently set the stage for an unexpected thaw in India-China ties,” The Times of India wrote.

AD