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Signposts Toward the Future of Indian-Chinese Relations

September 16, 2025
Signposts Toward the Future of Indian-Chinese Relations
Signposts Toward the Future of Indian-Chinese Relations

Signposts Toward the Future of Indian-Chinese Relations

Sameer Lalwani, Tanvi Madan, and Sushant Singh
September 16, 2025

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On Aug. 31, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s annual summit in Tianjin — Modi’s first trip to China in seven years. The meeting highlighted improving relations between the two countries, following a period of intensified tensions during border clashes in 2020. This renewed engagement occurs at a time of unusually high U.S.–Indian tensions, raising concerns in Washington that New Delhi might be leaning more toward China. We asked three experts to identify key indicators that might signify the direction of Indian–Chinese relations over the next few

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