From the low point in 2020, when over 20 Indian soldiers were killed in border clashes with China in the Himalayas, which also saw the loss of four Chinese soldiers, to standing side by side at the BRICS summit in Kazan, the relationship between Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi has evolved significantly. While the full outcomes of the BRICS summit are yet to be seen, the fact that India and China managed to at least partially reconcile at the summit is promising for Asia and enhances the potential for BRICS to succeed more than previously anticipated.
After the 2020 border clashes, India and China embarked on adversarial paths, with both nations deploying thousands of troops and military equipment to the border region to prevent further escalations. This tension hindered their cooperation, despite their geographic proximity, and pushed India towards closer ties with the Western bloc, which seized the opportunity in 2020 to offer significant military contracts and continues to do so. However, the recent agreement for joint patrols between China and India is a positive initial step. While it does not fully resolve the issue of Chinese military build-up or the disputed territory, it demonstrates both nations’ willingness to rebuild their relationship.
What does this mean for global geopolitics? It may surprise the Western alliance, which had hoped that India would follow the path of Taiwan, Japan, or South Korea—essentially becoming a client state and counterweight to China. Seeing India and China engage on pragmatic, strategic terms rather than on ideological divides challenges that expectation. It also highlights that, while India is prepared to cooperate with the West in many areas, it remains reluctant to commit its own troops or people to a conflict with China if relations were to deteriorate further.
This development also strengthens the likelihood that BRICS will continue to collaborate, potentially advancing a workable de-dollarisation strategy. BRICS would lose its essence if one of its founding members, India, became more aligned with the West than with its BRICS partners.
This agreement could pave the way for broader cooperation between China and India, not only within BRICS but on other critical regional issues. It is hoped that both nations recognise the futility of conflict and focus on working towards a future where nations can collaborate peacefully.
