New Delhi in the current difficult turbulent environment is showing increasing interest in the activities of the states of the Global South, united in the BRICS and SCO.
The stabilizing role of the Russia-India-China triangle
The participation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the SCO summit in China on August 31-September 1 this year. is logical and indicative in many respects.
For Narendra Modi, participation in the SCO summit was also of great importance bilaterally. It was important to “check the clock” primarily with Russian President Vladimir Putin on global and regional problems, including taking into account the new bilateral summit planned for the end of the year this time in New Delhi. Against the background of unstable relations between India and the United States, the Russian-Indian strategic partnership is steadily strengthening and despite the threats and pressure of D. Trump, the Indian leadership continued the course towards large purchases of energy resources from Russia and the further expansion of multi-vector ties with it. Confirmation of the consistency of this line of New Delhi in relation to Moscow was the results of a more than successful meeting “on the sidelines” of the SCO summit between N. Modi and V. Putin. The main thing is that the parties began preparations for the upcoming visit of the Russian president to India, designed to give a new, even more significant impetus to the all-round build-up of especially privileged and time-tested strategic partnership relations between the two close countries. Moscow believes that the Russian-Indian factor, as well as interaction in the Russia-India-China triangle, play a stabilizing role in the current difficult geopolitical situation and contribute to moving towards a more just multipolar world order.
Meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping
No less important for N. Modi was the second recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which was intended to consolidate the results of their conversation in October 2024 in Kazan “on the sidelines” of the BRICS summit. It is noteworthy that the Indian prime minister arrived in China almost seven years after his visit to this country in 2018 and this was his first trip to China after military clashes between two neighboring and to some extent rival states along the line of actual control in May 2020 in the disputed Aksaychin region, adjacent to the Indian union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as Ladakh.
Although New Delhi was unhappy with Beijing’s pro-Pakistan stance during Islamabad’s latest border conflict with India in Kashmir in May, bilateral efforts to resolve territorial disputes in the desert region of Aksaychin near the Indian union territory of Ladakh, as well as in northeastern India around the state of Arunachal Pradesh, have continued.
The parties managed to advance in resolving existing problems
Bilateral meetings were held at the level of Foreign Ministers S. Jaishankar and Wang Yi in July this year. in Beijing and in August in New Delhi. In addition, this topic and the problems of normalizing relations between the two countries as a whole were discussed during the permanent negotiation mechanism with the participation of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the adviser to the Prime Minister of India on national security issues Ajit Doval. Moreover, it is significant that during this dialogue process the parties managed to advance in resolving existing problems and taking measures to improve relations, including the resumption of tourist exchanges and direct flights.
Despite the existing number of problematic and unresolved issues between India and China, trade ties are successfully developing, and with a large surplus in favor of the second. It is significant that China and the United States are India’s largest trading partners, and taking into account the increase from August 28 this year. Washington tariff duties on Indian exports up to and more than 50% Beijing seems to be becoming the main trading partner of India, especially since the volume of bilateral trade is approaching $130 billion. Russia, thanks to large supplies, primarily of oil, entered the top three leading partners of India with a turnover of about $70 billion.
Chinese leader’s call for ‘dragon and elephant’ to unite
Under these conditions, increased attention was riveted to the meeting of the Indian and Chinese leaders on August 31 this year. was riveted. Both leaders showed friendliness and willingness to continue steps to improve relations and increase cooperation based on mutual trust, respect and consideration of interests. Progress was noted in the proper management of the disputed border areas and the successful disengagement of the armed forces of the two countries along the line of actual control in eastern Ladakh.
The issue of opening direct air communication between the two countries and increasing mutual tourist flow was finally resolved. It was emphasized that these two oldest and most densely populated civilizations have a special responsibility for the fate of peace and security. Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping said the two neighboring states are development partners, not rivals, and that the differences should not escalate into disputes.
It is also noteworthy the statement of N. Modi that both sides seek to give relations strategic autonomy and such an attitude should in no way be viewed through the prism of a third state. And Xi Jinping went even further, calling on “the dragon and the elephant to unite.” Both leaders welcomed the positive dynamics and steady progress in bilateral relations since their last meeting in Kazan in October 2024.
Noting the growing trade turnover between the two countries (about $130 billion), they advocated reducing the trade imbalance, further strengthening investment ties, including taking into account D. Trump’s tariff policy, and maintaining the proper level of political dialogue.
The determination of the parties to move forward
In general, the second friendly conversation between the leaders of India and China over the past year demonstrated the determination of the parties to move forward in improving the atmosphere of mutual trust and understanding, to give bilateral relations a stable and stable character regardless of different positions on the disputed border territories. Such a positive attitude of the leaders of India and China allows us to hope for a truly optimistic development of cooperation between not only the largest Asian, but also global powers, which also maintain special partnerships with Russia, which is extremely important for building a more just and democratic multipolar world order.
Anvar Azimov, diplomat and political scientist, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Senior Researcher at the Eurasian Educational Institute of MGIMO of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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