onsdag 20. august 2025

If China and India Mend Ties, Will South Asia Finally See More Stability?

With Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s recent visit to New Delhi from August 18 to 20, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi preparing for his first visit to China in seven years for the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, the South Asian region is on the brink of significant changes. 

Most of the analysis on the subject emphasizes the contentious history of Sino-Indian relations, but that ignores another crucial dynamic: whenever hostility between Beijing and New Delhi eases, South Asia briefly breathes a sigh of relief, as evidenced from the period from Kargil in 1999 to Pulwama in 2019. Chinese diplomacy has often acted to prevent escalation between India and Pakistan in particular. Therefore, it’s worth exploring the key question of whether a potential Sino-Indian détente can bring stability to South Asia.