World’s biggest relationship? Xi and Modi look to rebuild ties for 2.8bn people - Financial Times

**India‑China Relations in a New Era**

*New Delhi and Beijing are trying to turn a decade‑long rivalry into what the *Financial Times* calls “the world’s biggest relationship” – a partnership that would directly affect roughly 2.8 billion people, the combined populations of the two countries. After the 2020 border clash in the Galwan Valley, diplomatic channels were largely frozen, but the recent face‑to‑face summit between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Johannesburg, the venue of the 2026 BRICS summit, signalled a deliberate reset. Both leaders framed the talks as a “new chapter” aimed at stabilising the border, reviving trade and cooperating on global challenges such as climate change and supply‑chain resilience.*

*The meetings produced concrete steps that go beyond rhetoric. China has agreed to reopen its customs facilities along the border and to accelerate the implementation of the “peace and tranquility” framework that was first outlined in 2022. In parallel, India has offered to hold a high‑level working group on border confidence‑building measures, including joint patrols and real‑time communication hotlines. Economically, the two sides pledged to raise bilateral trade from the 2023 level of about $115 billion to $200 billion within the next five years, with particular emphasis on pharmaceuticals, renewable‑energy equipment and agricultural commodities. Multilateral forums also featured prominently: Chatham House notes that the BRICS summit will serve as a platform for both countries to coordinate positions on reforming global financial institutions, while the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation will host a joint India‑China dialogue on counter‑terrorism and cyber‑security.*

*Nonetheless, deep‑seated mistrust and divergent strategic calculations remain. The *Economist* points out that India’s “strategic autonomy” – exemplified by its growing defence ties with the United States and its participation in the Quad – continues to puzzle Beijing, which fears a containment axis. Former Indian diplomat and former envoy to Beijing, quoted by *Firstpost*, warns that a thaw could “redefine geopolitics” only if both sides manage to keep the border dispute from re‑escalating and if they resist external pressures to align exclusively with rival blocs. Analysts agree that while the overtures at the BRICS summit mark a positive shift, the durability of the reset will hinge on sustained diplomatic engagement and tangible outcomes on the ground.*