Why in news?

PM Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO Summit 2025 in Tianjin. Both leaders welcomed the positive momentum since their October 2024 meeting in Kazan and reaffirmed that India and China are development partners, not rivals.

They agreed that bilateral differences should not escalate into disputes and emphasized the need for stable relations based on mutual respect, interest, and sensitivity.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• PM Modi–Xi Jinping Meeting in Tianjin: Key Highlights
• Analysis: India’s Diplomatic Rebalancing Amid Trump’s Turbulence
• Conclusion

PM Modi–Xi Jinping Meeting in Tianjin: Key Highlights

• PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held wide-ranging talks in Tianjin, marking Modi’s first visit to China in seven years.
• The meeting came soon after the US imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods due to India’s purchase of Russian oil.
• Both leaders reviewed bilateral ties and global challenges, seeking to expand cooperation while managing differences.
• Border Issues
  • PM Modi underlined that peace and stability along the border are essential for advancing relations, likening it to an “insurance policy” for bilateral ties.
  • He reiterated India’s unchanged stance on Taiwan.
  • Both sides acknowledged recent steps to rebuild trust after the Galwan Valley clashes of 2020.
• Upgrading Strategic Relations
  • President Xi proposed four suggestions: strengthen strategic communication, deepen trust, expand cooperation, ensure mutual benefit, and enhance multilateral cooperation.
  • PM Modi responded positively, signalling intent to upgrade ties.
• Cross-border Terrorism
  • The Prime Minister raised the issue of cross-border terrorism, stressing that both India and China have suffered from the threat.
  • He urged mutual support to combat terrorism effectively.
• Trade and Economic Cooperation
  • Both leaders acknowledged their economies’ stabilising role in global trade and agreed to expand bilateral investment while addressing the trade deficit.
  • The ongoing discussions on balancing trade, involving governments, businesses, and institutions.
  • Modi and Xi also discussed ways to boost people-to-people ties.
• Global Order and Multilateralism
  • The two leaders shared concerns over the functioning of global bodies like the WTO and UN.
  • Modi emphasised that India and China, both pursuing strategic autonomy, should not let relations be defined through the lens of a third country.
  • Xi called for cooperation between India and China as leading Global South economies to uphold multilateralism and a multipolar world.
• Connectivity and Regional Cooperation
  • The leaders discussed connectivity projects with Myanmar, with Modi highlighting their importance for India’s ties with Southeast Asia.
  • Modi also invited Xi to the 2026 BRICS Summit in India, which Xi welcomed while expressing support for India’s BRICS leadership.
• Partners, Not Rivals
  • The two leaders agreed that domestic development goals remain their priority.
  • They stressed that cooperation benefits the 2.8 billion people of both nations and is essential for an Asian century and a multipolar world order.

Analysis: India’s Diplomatic Rebalancing Amid Trump’s Turbulence

• Recently, India has launched a major diplomatic effort to rebalance its great-power relations, driven by the disruptions of US President Donald Trump’s policies.
• PM Modi’s back-to-back visits to Tokyo and Tianjin highlight this recalibration, deepening ties with Japan while cautiously re-engaging with China.
• Tokyo: Strengthening Partnership with Japan
  • In Tokyo, Modi signed agreements to expand cooperation in commerce, technology, security, and human resources.
  • This builds on the strong India–Japan partnership, vital in the face of regional instability and Trump’s erratic pressure on US allies.
• Tianjin: Resetting Ties with China
  • In Tianjin, Modi and Xi Jinping agreed to consolidate commitments after years of tension, addressing boundary issues, lifting economic restrictions, and seeking common ground on regional and global challenges.
  • This marks a step toward stabilising ties after the Galwan clash.
• Trump’s Role in the Shift
  • Trump’s tariff hikes on Indian goods and personal attacks on Modi, driven by resentment over India’s refusal to endorse him for a Nobel Prize, have destabilised India–US ties.
  • His unilateral trade demands and humiliation of allies like Japan, South Korea, and Australia forced Asian nations, including India, to rethink their strategies and reduce tensions with China.
• India’s Strategic Autonomy
  • Delhi has avoided public confrontation with Trump but quietly resisted pressure, reaffirming the importance of US ties while broadening relations with China, Japan, Europe, and Russia.
  • India’s Foreign Office underscored its emphasis on “strategic autonomy,” ensuring it is not seen as aligning too closely with either Washington or Beijing.

Conclusion

• China, facing relentless US pressure, is diversifying its partnerships with Russia, Europe, and Asian allies, while keeping a cautious door open for US engagement.
• India, from a different position, is moving along a similar path—seeking balanced ties, avoiding overdependence, and leveraging multipolarity to safeguard its long-term security and prosperity.