India-China ties improve before summits, but mistrust persists

September 14, 2026 at 06:35 AM1 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi met in New Delhi on September 12 during the 18th BRICS Summit, their third meeting in under two years. Both sides cited steady progress in bilateral ties since the 2020 Galwan clashes. Breakthroughs on border issues have repeatedly come just before multilateral summits, yet underlying mistrust remains.

Key Facts

Xi Jinping's September 12 visit to New Delhi was his first to India in nearly seven years.
India and China agreed to disengage from the Gogra-Hot Springs area on September 8, 2022, a week before the SCO summit in Samarkand.
On October 21, 2024, India and China reached a patrolling agreement at Depsang and Demchok, two days before the BRICS summit in Kazan.
Before the 2026 SCO summit in Bishkek, India's NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese FM Wang Yi held the 25th round of boundary talks in Beijing, announcing two new border hotlines and two new meeting points for army commanders.

Summit-Driven Breakthroughs

India and China have repeatedly timed border agreements to coincide with multilateral summits. The Gogra-Hot Springs disengagement on September 8, 2022 came one week before the SCO summit in Samarkand. The October 21, 2024 patrolling pact at Depsang and Demchok preceded the Kazan BRICS summit by two days. The 25th round of Special Representative talks in Beijing occurred days before the 2026 SCO summit in Bishkek.

Economic and Diplomatic Thaw

New Delhi has eased restrictions on select Chinese equipment imports. Beijing has agreed to ease restrictions on supplying fertilizers and rare earth minerals to India. Direct flights between the two countries have resumed, paving the way for greater people-to-people exchanges.

Persistent Mistrust

Despite the diplomatic progress, bilateral ties settle back into a familiar pattern of mutual mistrust after each summit. The 2020 Galwan border clashes remain the low point from which relations are recovering.