https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/324745/feed China and India have a long history of troubles along their 3,488 kilometre undemarcated border that includes a war in 1962 and a number of more recent clashes such as the Doklam stand-off in 2017. The current "Line of Actual Control" that forms the effective border between the two countries dates back to boundaries drawn up before India's independence in 1947 and has been the subject of numerous rounds of talks and agreements. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China said it would seek India’s help to “maintain peace and stability in the border areas” after new stand-offs in a long-disputed region threatened to undermine improved relations. “We hope that India will work with China in the same direction by jointly implementing the common understandings between the two sides,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a daily media briefing on Monday. China “strictly abides by the relevant agreements”, he said. Guo also said that China... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372433/china-seeks-indias-help-defusing-border-tensions https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372433/china-seeks-indias-help-defusing-border-tensions Wed, 28 Oct 2026 09:13:41 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou A fragile rapprochement between China and India is facing a renewed test following reports of military face-offs along their hotly contested border. Shatrujeet Kapur, director general of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), said last week that confrontations with Chinese troops were “continuing at multiple locations along the Arunachal Pradesh border”. “In the past few days, a situation arose where face-off[s] happened at several locations in Arunachal and it still continues,” Kapur said at a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372296/fragile-india-china-thaw-tested-reported-fresh-himalayan-border-face-offs https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372296/fragile-india-china-thaw-tested-reported-fresh-himalayan-border-face-offs Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:25:48 +0000 Gaurav Kumar Gaurav Kumar Chinese President Xi Jinping has met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi three times in the past three years. Indian pilgrims are back at Kailash, the Tibetan mountain sacred to Hindus and Buddhists. Air China has restarted flights to New Delhi. But can trust grow between two armies that meet only in a crisis? And why does the Pentagon now talk to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) more easily than India’s army does? In September, Xi made his first visit to India in nearly seven years; Beijing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370226/despite-china-india-thaw-military-relations-are-stuck-2020 https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370226/despite-china-india-thaw-military-relations-are-stuck-2020 Sun, 11 Oct 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth When Chinese President Xi Jinping met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi last week on the sidelines of the Brics summit, another country loomed large in the background, even in its absence: the United States. After the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintain peace at the disputed border and strengthen economic ties. Beijing’s readout, however, offered a pointed reminder of the US factor in India-China ties. The official Chinese statement claimed that Modi... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367644/will-transactional-america-assist-india-future-border-crisis-china https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367644/will-transactional-america-assist-india-future-border-crisis-china Tue, 15 Sep 2026 21:34:26 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Orange Wang,Mark Magnier,Nayan Seth Khushboo Razdan,Orange Wang,Mark Magnier,Nayan Seth Chinese President Xi Jinping told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday that China and India, as the world’s most populous nations and key members of the Global South, bore “significant responsibilities” in an international landscape “fraught with turbulence and change”. Xi said that although the countries had different national circumstances, “there is ample scope for us to learn from each other’s strengths, offer mutual support, achieve shared success and pursue common... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367314/xi-tells-modi-there-ample-scope-learn-each-others-strengths https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367314/xi-tells-modi-there-ample-scope-learn-each-others-strengths Sat, 12 Sep 2026 13:02:31 +0000 Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Chinese President Xi Jinping is heading to India for the first time since 2019 and finalising plans for a US trip as he works through his busiest month of international travel in years. Xi will attend the annual Brics summit in New Delhi over the weekend and meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Russia’s Vladimir Putin and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa are among other leaders going to the event, which gathers some of the world’s biggest energy producers and users. The India trip gives Xi... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367198/xi-india-bank-capital-injections-eu-china-trade https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367198/xi-india-bank-capital-injections-eu-china-trade Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:00:28 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim China has confirmed that President Xi Jinping will travel to New Delhi for the Brics summit this weekend, his first visit to India in close to seven years and the latest leg of the Chinese leader’s busiest run of summitry in years. China’s foreign ministry said Xi would attend the summit at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Xi is expected to have a sit-down with Modi on the sidelines of the summit. The Chinese president’s visit to India follows closely on a packed diplomatic... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367062/chinas-xi-jinping-make-first-trip-india-7-years-brics-summit https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367062/chinas-xi-jinping-make-first-trip-india-7-years-brics-summit Thu, 10 Sep 2026 10:03:01 +0000 Gaurav Kumar Gaurav Kumar When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the encounter was short and carefully choreographed while the message was warm. Modi had earlier said that stable and predictable ties between the two nations matter for a multipolar Asia and world. The larger moment will come on September 12 and 13, when Xi is expected to visit New Delhi for the first time in seven years. He is likely to lead a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3366239/despite-rivalry-china-india-coexistence-not-pipe-dream https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3366239/despite-rivalry-china-india-coexistence-not-pipe-dream Fri, 04 Sep 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Keji Mao,Yaxin Mao Keji Mao,Yaxin Mao As India prepares for the Brics summit less than two weeks away, relations with China are warming up. On July 22, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during the East Asia Summit; five days later, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited China. Last week, Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval also visited Beijing, for border talks. But India remains deeply ambivalent when it comes to economic engagement with China: it seeks Chinese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3365334/india-needs-make-its-mind-about-economic-ties-china https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3365334/india-needs-make-its-mind-about-economic-ties-china Mon, 31 Aug 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Alyssa Chen,Cao Jiaxuan Alyssa Chen,Cao Jiaxuan The catastrophic flash floods and mudslide that devastated the Gyirong Port crossing along the China-Nepal border on Wednesday have dealt a heavy blow to China-Nepal trade and imperilled Kathmandu’s push to cut reliance on Indian transit routes. However, if Beijing and Kathmandu are to proceed with ambitious infrastructure projects, they are expected to take environmental factors into consideration and adjust their construction methods accordingly, one expert said. Chinese officials confirmed... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365486/himalayan-glacier-collapse-hits-crucial-china-nepal-trade-route-casualties-mount https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365486/himalayan-glacier-collapse-hits-crucial-china-nepal-trade-route-casualties-mount Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:30:03 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Cao Jiaxuan Khushboo Razdan,Cao Jiaxuan After two years of a cautious thaw, China and India are heading towards a pivotal test: can the relationship move beyond managed optics to meaningful engagement? President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to cross paths next week at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Sources expect a short, tightly managed encounter on the sidelines of the August 31-September 1 summit that would set the stage for the main event – in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365318/chinas-xi-jinping-expected-visit-india-after-7-years-whats-agenda https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365318/chinas-xi-jinping-expected-visit-india-after-7-years-whats-agenda Wed, 26 Aug 2026 12:01:09 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China has outlined plans to build a massive road link snaking along the country’s land borders and coastlines – an ambitious project that could boost incomes in a string of remote regions, but also provoke geopolitical and ecological risks. The project is framed as an effort to boost economic development, social stability and national unity, with the more than 25,000km (15,500-mile) route set to run through several regions with large ethnic-minority populations – including Tibet and the Xinjiang... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3364884/china-building-vast-national-ring-road-circling-countrys-borderlands https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3364884/china-building-vast-national-ring-road-circling-countrys-borderlands Sun, 23 Aug 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan The China-India-Pakistan triangle has never been short on danger, but Islamabad’s new defensive alliance has added another variable to an already volatile situation. Last week, Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia signed a pact in Mecca in which they agreed to treat an armed attack on one as an attack on all. The three governments have described it as defensive and not directed at any particular state. Analysts said its main significance for India lay less in whether it would be invoked, but in how... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363555/china-india-and-pakistans-dangerous-nuclear-triangle-just-became-more-complicated https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363555/china-india-and-pakistans-dangerous-nuclear-triangle-just-became-more-complicated Mon, 10 Aug 2026 14:07:41 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju High in the eastern Himalayas, where yak caravans once carried silk and salt between empires, a border crossing closed by suspicion six years ago is stirring back to life. The Nathu La Pass, a remote border trading post connecting India’s Sikkim state with China’s Tibet region at 4,310 metres (14,140 feet) above sea level, reopened to commerce on Saturday for the first time since 2020. For the roughly 600 registered traders in Sikkim who used to depend on this ancient route, the reopening means... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3362556/india-and-china-revive-himalayan-trade-high-altitude-pass https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3362556/india-and-china-revive-himalayan-trade-high-altitude-pass Sat, 01 Aug 2026 05:00:13 +0000 Syed Munir Khasru Syed Munir Khasru South Asia is undergoing a gradual but important shift. Smaller states now command a widening array of options, and India’s primacy is quietly giving way. The lesson is clear. Regional leadership can no longer rest on geography and must be sustained through credible and mutually beneficial engagements that compare favourably with the alternatives. China’s challenge begins at India’s border. Both countries fought in 1962, continue to dispute a frontier of roughly 3,500km and had their deadliest... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3361501/india-losing-its-regional-primacy-beijing-and-washington-move https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3361501/india-losing-its-regional-primacy-beijing-and-washington-move Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan The Chinese ambassador to India’s attempt at bridge-building has triggered a fierce nationalist backlash back home, including accusations that he has lost sight of his role. “The ambassador seems to have forgotten his actual job,” one social media user wrote this month of Xu Feihong, arguing that the envoy’s role was to make Indians more friendly towards China – not the other way round. Another took a xenophobic turn, accusing Xu of “letting hundreds of thousands, even millions, of Indian... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3359996/china-india-diplomats-are-shaking-hands-its-no-holds-barred-web-users-why https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3359996/china-india-diplomats-are-shaking-hands-its-no-holds-barred-web-users-why Sat, 11 Jul 2026 10:00:07 +0000 Hao Nan Hao Nan The Russia-India-China (RIC) dialogue is back in the diplomatic conversation. It has not formally restarted, and no summit is on the horizon. But the signals are here. In 2025, Moscow again pushed for reviving the RIC format. India said any meeting would have to be arranged in a “mutually convenient manner”, a cautious but open formula. China said it was willing to maintain communication with Russia and India on trilateral cooperation. This month, Russian President Vladimir Putin again spoke... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3356827/dont-count-russia-india-china-triangle-out-just-yet https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3356827/dont-count-russia-india-china-triangle-out-just-yet Tue, 16 Jun 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang India’s new ambassador to China has paid his first visit to Tibet in the latest sign of thawing relations between the two Asian neighbours. Vikram Doraiswami – who speaks Chinese and took up the post in Beijing last month – arrived in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet autonomous region, on Thursday, according to a statement posted on social media by the Indian embassy. The visit was to “review arrangements made by the local government for Indian pilgrims proceeding to Mount Gang Renpoche and Lake... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3356858/why-indias-new-envoy-china-visiting-tibet-soon-after-taking-job https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3356858/why-indias-new-envoy-china-visiting-tibet-soon-after-taking-job Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:01:05 +0000 Gaurav Kumar Gaurav Kumar When foreign ministers of countries that are part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) gathered in New Delhi last week, the agenda looked familiar: supply chain resilience, telecommunications security and maritime domain awareness. The talking points have evolved, the initiatives have multiplied and the meetings have become routine. Asia is entering a new strategic era. However, its geopolitical debate remains stuck in the previous one. Across the region, governments are investing in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355773/asias-strategic-landscape-evolves-what-quads-purpose https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355773/asias-strategic-landscape-evolves-what-quads-purpose Sun, 07 Jun 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Neeta Lal Neeta Lal Six years after the Ladakh crisis erupted in May 2020, triggering the worst military confrontation between India and China in decades, the two countries are attempting something that once seemed improbable: a diplomatic reset. The latest indication came late last month when officials met in Beijing for the 35th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs. The message emerging from the talks was positive. The two sides reaffirmed their... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355804/thaw-china-india-ties-real-dont-call-it-reconciliation https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355804/thaw-china-india-ties-real-dont-call-it-reconciliation Sun, 07 Jun 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju As India and China work to steady their relationship after years of border tension, Indian filmmakers say projects inspired by the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes are being reworked, delayed or shelved following official warnings against “China-bashing”. Bollywood heavyweight Salman Khan’s war drama, initially titled Battle of Galwan, was reportedly asked to change its name to Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace, with several scenes requiring reshoots. A separate film, The Lion of Galwan, has been... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3355053/india-tells-filmmakers-drop-china-bashing-ties-warm https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3355053/india-tells-filmmakers-drop-china-bashing-ties-warm Wed, 27 May 2026 10:53:14 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell Perhaps the most fascinating and important aspects of US President Donald Trump’s jolt to the global economy have been its unintended consequences, especially the impact on relations between China and India. Two consistent aspects of Trump’s meandering narrative are to “make America great again” by bringing manufacturing jobs back to the US, and to hobble China as an economic and strategic threat. A decade later, there has been negligible progress on either objective. Instead, the unintended... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3354474/india-and-china-are-cautiously-getting-closer-thanks-trump https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3354474/india-and-china-are-cautiously-getting-closer-thanks-trump Fri, 22 May 2026 08:30:06 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth In December 2010, on the final day of his three-day India visit, Chinese premier Wen Jiabao offered a metaphorical vision for bilateral ties, suggesting that “the dragon and the elephant should tango”. The analogy – dragon for China, elephant for India – had already circulated in Western academic and media circles as a comparative frame. With Wen’s remark, it formally entered China’s diplomatic lexicon. Over the past 15 years, through cycles of border tensions and uneasy resets, China’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352233/why-does-china-portray-india-elephant-decoding-politics-animal-analogy https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352233/why-does-china-portray-india-elephant-decoding-politics-animal-analogy Sun, 03 May 2026 04:00:24 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi India has reportedly signed a deal to buy Russian missiles that target support aircraft as its arch-rival Pakistan and China continue to integrate their aerial weapons profiles. Russia has cleared the export of around 300 R-37M ultra-long-range air-to-air missiles in a US$1.2 billion deal, according to media reports. Malaysia-based news platform Defence Security Asia said deliveries of the missiles could begin within 12 to 18 months. India is also developing its own Astra Mk 2 and Mk 3 missiles,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3351452/could-russian-missiles-help-india-counter-its-arch-rivals-chinese-weapons https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3351452/could-russian-missiles-help-india-counter-its-arch-rivals-chinese-weapons Sun, 26 Apr 2026 04:00:15 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju A cautious reset in India-China relations is taking root, according to analysts, with the two rivals increasingly walling off their border disputes from expanding cooperation on trade, security and multilateral diplomacy. The clearest marker yet came last week in New Delhi, where the two sides held their first-ever bilateral consultations focused exclusively on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Eurasian security bloc that also includes Russia, Iran, Pakistan and four Central Asian... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3350732/india-and-china-wall-border-rows-focus-trade-and-security https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3350732/india-and-china-wall-border-rows-focus-trade-and-security Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:12:46 +0000 Wendy Wu Wendy Wu China should support India’s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, a prominent US economist has suggested, saying the two Asian powers could overcome historical grievances and political distrust to inject stability into the world. “China’s real interest is true, stable multipolarity,” Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs told a seminar in Beijing on Friday, urging India not to become a pawn in a US game to hold China back. “I believe that China should, after... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347428/china-india-and-why-jeffrey-sachs-says-us-needs-make-un-great-again https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347428/china-india-and-why-jeffrey-sachs-says-us-needs-make-un-great-again Sat, 21 Mar 2026 13:00:10 +0000 Ambuj Sahu Ambuj Sahu In April 2020, as the world struggled with the Covid-19 pandemic and soldiers from India and China moved towards a large-scale border stand-off, New Delhi amended its foreign direct investment (FDI) policy to require prior government approval for all investments from countries sharing a land border with India – a measure directed at China. Nearly six years on, India has changed its FDI policy again. It is a significant move for India-China relations. During the pandemic, the FDI regulation... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346614/indias-reopening-chinese-investment-reflects-strategic-pragmatism https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346614/indias-reopening-chinese-investment-reflects-strategic-pragmatism Wed, 18 Mar 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong By the second half of the 21st century, the Sino-Indian relationship will become the world’s most significant geopolitical relationship, dislodging even the complex China-US cooperative rivalry. By 2050, the world’s three largest economies are likely to comprise some combination of China, India and the United States. PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts this exact order – with the US having the highest per capita income but the smallest population. Both Asian powerhouses enjoy significant theoretical... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346270/boosting-china-india-ties-should-be-pillar-hong-kongs-five-year-plan https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346270/boosting-china-india-ties-should-be-pillar-hong-kongs-five-year-plan Sat, 14 Mar 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang India has relaxed curbs on Chinese investments in certain sectors to attract more foreign capital, as Beijing and New Delhi continue to gradually repair their economic relationship after years of tense relations. In a cabinet statement released on Tuesday, New Delhi introduced a fast-track approval mechanism for investments from land-bordering countries – including China. The move amends a previous restriction that had mandated government scrutiny for all such capital inflows. Under the new... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3346213/india-opens-door-more-chinese-investment-after-6-year-freeze https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3346213/india-opens-door-more-chinese-investment-after-6-year-freeze Wed, 11 Mar 2026 08:34:17 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou China plans to further strengthen its strategic transport network in sensitive border regions over the next five years to fortify and better project power along its remote frontiers amid rising geopolitical uncertainty. One project involves building a 394km (245-mile) highway linking the northern and southern sides of the rugged Tianshan Mountains in far-western Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, according to the draft 15th five-year plan released last week. The route will run parallel to a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346094/how-china-plans-greater-power-projection-xinjiang-and-tibet-over-next-5-years https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346094/how-china-plans-greater-power-projection-xinjiang-and-tibet-over-next-5-years Tue, 10 Mar 2026 09:10:04 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma India and China opened a new round of strategic dialogue as US tariffs on their exports spur the two Asian giants to broaden global trade ties and move beyond past disputes. Both countries “uphold the strategic perception that China and India are cooperative partners instead of rivals”, China’s foreign ministry said in a statement after Tuesday’s meeting in New Delhi between Executive Vice-Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. “China and India should deepen mutual... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/article/3343183/china-india-find-common-cause-push-multipolar-world https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/article/3343183/china-india-find-common-cause-push-multipolar-world Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:07:47 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Senior diplomats from China and India met in New Delhi on Tuesday for what Beijing described as a new round of strategic dialogue, emphasising the need to view each other as partners rather than competitors amid shifting global dynamics. India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri hosted China’s Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, who was in the country for the Brics Sherpa Meeting from February 8 to 10. The two sides’ readouts of the meeting, however, revealed a persistent gap in how the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3343113/china-and-india-seek-reset-talks-old-fault-lines-remain https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3343113/china-and-india-seek-reset-talks-old-fault-lines-remain Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:16:30 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju India plans to lift long-standing restrictions on Chinese companies bidding for government contracts, a move officials say is aimed at easing shortages and project delays as relations with Beijing show tentative signs of stabilising. The proposal, first reported by Reuters, would roll back curbs, imposed after the two countries’ deadly 2020 border clash in the Galwan Valley, that effectively shut Chinese firms out of a vast segment of India’s public procurement market. In October 2024, India and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3339772/india-proposes-reopening-government-bidding-chinese-firms-ties-thaw https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3339772/india-proposes-reopening-government-bidding-chinese-firms-ties-thaw Wed, 14 Jan 2026 02:00:21 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen One of China’s newest main battle tanks, the Type 99B, is an upgraded model designed to perform better in high-altitude and cold weather operations, according to state media – suggesting it could be sent to the Himalayan border with India. The tank is the latest of the Type 99 armoured vehicles and was among the military hardware unveiled during China’s huge Victory Day parade in Beijing in September. State broadcaster CCTV reported on Thursday that the upgraded model has a raft of new features.... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3336467/chinese-main-battle-tank-upgraded-high-altitudes-could-be-sent-border-india https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3336467/chinese-main-battle-tank-upgraded-high-altitudes-could-be-sent-border-india Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:00:30 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Beijing has rejected claims that Chinese authorities detained and harassed an Indian national born in a disputed border region, after the traveller alleged that she was held for more than 18 hours while transiting through Shanghai. On Sunday, a woman who identified herself as Pem Wang Thongdok said on social media that she had been “held” against her will at a Shanghai airport on Friday. She said she had been travelling from London to Japan via Shanghai. According to the post, Chinese border... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334121/china-denies-harassing-indian-woman-born-disputed-border-region-over-invalid-passport https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334121/china-denies-harassing-indian-woman-born-disputed-border-region-over-invalid-passport Tue, 25 Nov 2025 11:25:32 +0000 Aparna Divya Aparna Divya In recent months, India-China relations have returned to normality after a long decade of confrontation. With the resumption of direct flights after five years, recent corps commander-level talks, the reopening of the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage route, the relaxation of barriers on hi-tech supplies and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping exchanging pleasantries at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, a quiet detente is under way. This cooperation could... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332286/can-china-and-india-turn-tactical-calm-strategic-moderation https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332286/can-china-and-india-turn-tactical-calm-strategic-moderation Thu, 13 Nov 2025 12:30:11 +0000 Richard Heydarian Richard Heydarian In a fast and furious year of devastating wars and high-stakes diplomacy, the historic meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands out as a potential harbinger of a new global order. In his first visit to China in seven years, Modi agreed with Xi that Asia’s two powers should be “partners” rather than “rivals”, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin. Modi stressed that “their differences should not turn into... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3328544/why-india-hedging-its-bets-another-china-charm-offensive https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3328544/why-india-hedging-its-bets-another-china-charm-offensive Sun, 12 Oct 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan India and China, recently seen moving towards rapprochement after years of strained ties, held separate meetings with Global South countries on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, highlighting a quiet rivalry for leadership of the developing world. The world’s two most-populous countries had been expected to present a united front as global trade and multilateralism face increasing headwinds under US President Donald Trump’s second term. Instead, their... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326737/india-and-china-vie-global-south-leadership-un-gatherings https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326737/india-and-china-vie-global-south-leadership-un-gatherings Wed, 24 Sep 2025 17:11:23 +0000 Reuters Reuters Security forces patrolled the streets on Thursday in India’s Himalayan region of Ladakh, where a curfew was clamped in some areas a day after four people were killed in violent protests demanding statehood for the federal territory and job quotas. Television images showed troop patrols amid shops and businesses closed during the curfew and a protest call against the deaths from the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which represents political, social and trade groups in the region. “I demand a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3326735/4-killed-indias-ladakh-statehood-protests-turn-violent-near-china-border https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3326735/4-killed-indias-ladakh-statehood-protests-turn-violent-near-china-border Wed, 24 Sep 2025 15:13:28 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan China’s recent high-profile diplomatic activity, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin and the Victory Day parade in Beijing in the same week, conveyed more than international headlines suggested. Although much of the media spotlight focused on the optics of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, I think the real story centres on pragmatic engagement, regional reassurance and the realignment of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3325907/focusing-pageantry-west-misses-point-chinas-diplomacy https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3325907/focusing-pageantry-west-misses-point-chinas-diplomacy Fri, 19 Sep 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Abishur Prakash Abishur Prakash Earlier this month, Anthropic, the American artificial intelligence company, entered the US-China fight. It barred companies from using its AI services if they were more than 50 per cent owned by Chinese entities. This was a double punch – China’s access to American technology hit another obstacle, and the global business world was prodded again to reject Chinese investment. Just a few months ago, Anthropic’s move would have knocked the wind out of China. But the recent Shanghai Cooperation... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3325174/chinas-moment-rewire-world-arriving-what-will-it-do https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3325174/chinas-moment-rewire-world-arriving-what-will-it-do Mon, 15 Sep 2025 22:30:08 +0000 Orange Wang,Wendy Wu Orange Wang,Wendy Wu Zheng Yongnian is a leading political scientist and government adviser in China. His academic work is mainly about contemporary politics, the country’s transformation and external relations. In his second in-depth interview with the Post, Zheng discusses AI governance and how China can consolidate its narrative amid growing geopolitical risks. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. For many years, you have called for the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325111/zheng-yongnian-why-china-must-look-beyond-west-build-better-ai https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325111/zheng-yongnian-why-china-must-look-beyond-west-build-better-ai Sun, 14 Sep 2025 22:00:15 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to India on Thursday pushed back on fears that New Delhi was drifting towards China, pledging to draw India closer to the US, open its markets to American goods and end Russian oil purchases, while telling senators that India and China had little in common and were unlikely to forge closer ties. “While we might have our moments of hiccups right now, we are on the track of resolving that. Our relationship with the Indian government … is much... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325259/just-hiccups-trumps-india-nominee-pledges-pull-new-delhi-away-beijing https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325259/just-hiccups-trumps-india-nominee-pledges-pull-new-delhi-away-beijing Thu, 11 Sep 2025 21:11:08 +0000 Debasish Roy Chowdhury Debasish Roy Chowdhury China and India are having a bit of a moment. Five years after a fatal confrontation on their unresolved border pushed relations over the edge, the two sides are rushing towards a detente. They are restoring peace along the border, reversing trade and investment curbs, easing visa restrictions to promote business and tourism, resuming direct flights and orchestrating a flurry of high-level official visits to formalise the thaw. This weekend, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting China... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3323704/china-and-india-love-time-cholera https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3323704/china-and-india-love-time-cholera Sat, 30 Aug 2025 06:30:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday signalled a further warming of ties with Beijing, urging the two Asian giants to collaborate in shaping a multipolar world, even as New Delhi remains wary of China’s growing military might and tries to finesse its own recent estrangement from the White House. “Stable, predictable and amicable bilateral relations between India and China, the two largest nations on Earth, can have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity,” he told... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3323730/modi-says-close-ties-between-india-and-china-are-crucial-multipolar-asia-and-world https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3323730/modi-says-close-ties-between-india-and-china-are-crucial-multipolar-asia-and-world Fri, 29 Aug 2025 18:08:04 +0000 Wang Huiyao Wang Huiyao As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to visit China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, the world is watching closely. Modi’s visit will be a historic opportunity to usher in a new era of cooperation between two ancient civilisations whose populations account for just under 35 per cent of humanity, representing the world’s second- and soon-to-be third-largest economies. During Modi’s recent meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, both seemed to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322841/how-modis-visit-china-can-reshape-asias-future https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322841/how-modis-visit-china-can-reshape-asias-future Tue, 26 Aug 2025 01:30:07 +0000 Neville Lai,Wai-Hong Tang Neville Lai,Wai-Hong Tang The evolving dynamics between China and India, the world’s most populous nations and rising economic powers, are at a critical juncture. Recent developments have shown encouraging signs in bilateral relations, with both sides expressing a willingness to re-engage constructively. Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently visited New Delhi, where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. This has renewed the momentum of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322748/china-must-accept-india-looking-after-itself https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322748/china-must-accept-india-looking-after-itself Sun, 24 Aug 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Beijing’s top envoy in New Delhi on Thursday expressed strong support for India, citing the steep US tariffs imposed against the country, and called for “teamwork” and “collaboration” between the world’s two most populous nations in standing up to the “bully”. “US imposed tariffs of up to 50 per cent on India. China firmly opposes it. Silence only emboldens the bully. China will firmly stand with India, uphold the multilateral trading system,” Ambassador Xu Feihong said. He said tariffs and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322715/beijing-stands-firm-new-delhi-against-bully-us-chinese-envoy-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322715/beijing-stands-firm-new-delhi-against-bully-us-chinese-envoy-says Thu, 21 Aug 2025 19:54:22 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday for the final leg of a South Asia tour, as China takes advantage of US trade tensions to boost relations and economic ties in the region. Wang earlier visited Afghanistan and India, where he held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The Modi discussion fostered a thawing of relations between the world’s two most populous nations amid the imposition of 50 per cent US tariffs on India. “Stable, predictable,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/article/3322637/china-india-thaw-leaves-us-sidelines https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/article/3322637/china-india-thaw-leaves-us-sidelines Thu, 21 Aug 2025 09:00:42 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen From a new border agreement to resuming direct flights and deepening economic cooperation, China and India appear to be entering a new diplomatic chapter following Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s first visit to New Delhi in three years. There could be a further thaw in ties when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels to Tianjin at the end of the month – his first trip to China in seven years – for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, when he could also meet Chinese leader Xi... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322621/china-and-india-are-rebuilding-relations-will-it-be-cold-peace https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322621/china-and-india-are-rebuilding-relations-will-it-be-cold-peace Thu, 21 Aug 2025 07:00:08 +0000