Overview

• Narendra Modi travels to Tianjin at Xi Jinping’s invitation for the SCO summit, his first visit to China since 2018, with attendees including Vladimir Putin, Iran’s president and UN chief António Guterres.
• President Donald Trump recently imposed tariffs of up to 50 percent on Indian goods over continued Russian oil purchases, shocking Delhi and stalling a nearly concluded U.S.–India trade deal after new demands.
• Analysts say India began easing tensions with China in 2024 for economic reasons, with U.S. measures accelerating the shift, while warning of potential tit-for-tat that could strain the U.S.–India partnership.
• China was India’s second-largest trading partner in FY2023/24 at over $118 billion in trade and an $85 billion deficit, underscoring India’s reliance on Chinese inputs even as Beijing hunts for new export markets.
• Core security rifts remain unresolved, including the deadly 2020 Galwan clash, contested Himalayan borders and China’s claims on Arunachal Pradesh, as well as Beijing’s close ties with Pakistan through CPEC and arms sales.