The Real Reason Modi Went To China

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Importantly, the readjustment does not constitute a rejection of India's partnership with the US-Delhi and Washington need each other too much for this-but it's a clear and deliberate recalibration.

Second, the visit concluded the recent thaw in China-India relations and inaugurated a new period of active engagement. The difficult and slow thaw between China and India , which started in October 2024, has mostly managed to overcome the effects of the 2020 border crisis, stabilize the military situation on the border and restore a certain normalcy in relations. However, its goal was to defrost relations, not to develop them.

In comparison, the new era of engagement will seek to achieve progress in trade and investment and build a more stable and predictable bilateral relationship in an increasingly turbulent world.

On the global level, the least contentious part of their relationship, the two sides will focus more on promoting multipolarity . Even limited progress on territorial disputes is possible, including a potential agreement on the Sikkim section of the disputed border.

At the same time, more active Sino-Indian engagement will serve to strengthen China and India's bargaining positions vis-à-vis Washington and enable them to shift attention away from each other to other foreign policy challenges such as Taiwan, Pakistan and the US. Of course, the competitive side of Sino-Indian relations and various contested issues impose limits on how far engagement can go.

Third, Modi's visit to China, politically unfeasible until recently, signals that the border is no longer the central issue in relations. While de-escalation in border areas is still ongoing, the situation is now stable and has been mostly compartmentalized from the broader bilateral relationship.

This negotiation process was formalized with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's recent visit to Delhi , with the establishment of expert and military mechanisms to manage and resolve the border dispute.

Of course, the border has not lost its importance, sensitivity or role in China-India relations. The Modi-Xi meetings revealed lingering differences in its perceived place in bilateral relations. Nevertheless, it is no longer the critical issue between Beijing and New Delhi that it was after the 2020 fatal clashes.

Finally, Modi's China visit signals a more activist Indian foreign policy, one less constrained by US considerations. Indeed, New Delhi needs a foreign policy reset to offset the destabilizing effects of President Donald Trump's recent tariff and political onslaught on India and to diversify its options away from the US.