What the Modi Xi meet means for India China Relations

India China | Ananth Krishnan

At the two-day BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a high-level bilateral meeting on September 12, 2026. This visit by Xi to India was his first in almost seven years and shows that relations between the two countries are slowly being stabilised after the serious border clashes which took place along the Line of Actual Control.

Even though officials have promoted a strategic and long-term approach, tensions are still very strong. India insists that peace along the frontier is a necessary foundation for wider relations, while Chinese officials see boundary management and bilateral relations as mutually supportive and are pushing for simultaneous advances in diplomatic, trade, and cultural contacts. The two leaders have instructed their officials to make progress on the demarcation of the border in the Middle and Sikkim areas as well as to deal with the economic disagreements. Structural trade imbalances still exist, and ongoing problems concerning Indian market access, Chinese investment screening, and visa restrictions continue to hinder the process of normalisation.

Comment

The difference between Beijing's idea of achieving parallel, mutually reinforcing progress and New Delhi's requirement of border tranquility as a precondition shows how the two sides approach conflict management along the Line of Actual Control. According to New Delhi, the forward posts introduced after the 2020 clash in the Galwan Valley have created an operational connection between tactical deployments and diplomatic normalisation. By contrast, Beijing tries to separate territorial friction from economic engagement in order to protect its overall regional position from being affected by local border standoffs.

By defining the borders in the Middle and Sikkim sectors while leaving the Western Sector undetermined, a fragmented system of border administration is established. As a result, the Indian Army continues to maintain a highly resource-draining presence in the Ladakh area even though diplomatic tensions have been reduced in the less contested sectors.

Strategic Question for Discussion

If frontier delimiting is carried out only in the Middle and Sikkim areas, does this mean that dividing the frontier reduces New Delhi's operational advantage in the Western Sector or does it set an practical example for step-by-step border stabilisation?

The tendency to segment the border negotiations could lead to the consolidation of the current tactical situation in Eastern Ladakh, where China still has strategic advantages in terms of ground position and has expanded its infrastructure. This approach indicates that Beijing will use its steady progress in areas that are less controversial to put pressure on India to normalise its economic relations, at the same time avoiding any substantial concessions along the Line of Actual Control.

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