India, China to back each other's BRICS Summits in 2026 and 2027 even as Trump targets bloc with impending tariffs
The Ministry of External Affairs in its press statement said, 'The Chinese side will support India in hosting the 2026 BRICS Summit. The Indian side will support China in hosting the 2027 BRICS Summit.'
That statement lands against a difficult backdrop. Trump has imposed steep tariffs on Indian exports and warned against what he calls the 'anti-Western agenda' of BRICS. The move has rattled members and, ironically, nudged India and China towards a rare show of alignment.
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Trump's pressure on BRICS
Trump's tariffs and rhetoric have cast a long shadow. He has singled out BRICS as a threat to US influence and has been blunt in targeting Indian and Chinese goods. For Delhi and Beijing, the BRICS pledge is more than protocol. It is a signal that the bloc will not be splintered by outside pressure.
Economist Jeffrey Sachs has described Trump's tariff decisions as "bizarre" and "very self-destructive of US foreign policy interests," warning of potential legal challenges and damage to US-India relations. Trump's actions, including imposing duties ranging from 10 to 50% on various trade partners, are seen as a pressure tactic and have prompted responses from India, China, and other nations, raising concerns about the future of multilateralism and the role of BRICS in the global order. The situation unfolds against a backdrop of ongoing US-India Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) talks and broader geopolitical tensions involving Russia, China, and other countries.
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Jeffrey Sachs, a renowned economist and Columbia University professor, has sharply criticized President Trump's tariff policies. Sachs told ANI that these policies might be doing more harm to the US than good.
He termed the duties as a pressure tactic on New Delhi and warned of risking years of progress in bilateral relations. Sachs described Trump's tariff decisions as 'bizarre' and 'very self-destructive of US foreign policy interests.'
'It's a shocking level of incompetence. I see incompetence in the US government, I'm never surprised, but I'd say that this reached this level that I have to admit actually surprised me," he remarked, in response to Trump's move to impose 25% secondary tariffs on Indian goods.
Sachs also warned that the tariffs could face serious legal hurdles. He pointed to the powers of the US Congress under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.
"...Tariffs are wrong in that they're destructive for the US economy. It violates international law. It's a breakdown of our political system in the United States. We have a constitution. We don't have one-person rule," he said.
He further added that economically and geopolitically, Trump's tariff policies are 'doomed to fail'.
Trump first announced the 25% tariffs in July. Days later, he doubled them to 50%, citing India's continued import of Russian oil.
PM Modi accepts Xi's invitation for SCO Summit
During his meeting with Wang, Prime Minister Modi accepted President Xi Jinping's invitation to attend the SCO Summit in Tianjin on 31 August and 1 September. Later, in a post on X, he wrote: "Glad to meet Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Since my meeting with President Xi in Kazan last year,
India-China relations
have made steady progress guided by respect for each other's interests and sensitivities. I look forward to our next meeting in Tianjin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. Stable, predictable, constructive ties between India and China will contribute significantly to regional as well as global peace and prosperity."
Modi described this as an opportunity to continue the momentum from his talks with Xi in Kazan, where both leaders had agreed to push forward stalled dialogue mechanisms.
Boundary talks and India-China border stability
At the Special Representatives' dialogue, Doval and Wang reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control. Both sides agreed that peace has largely held since the last round in December and committed to deepening discussions on de-escalation.
NSA Doval noted: "Borders have been quiet, there has been peace and tranquillity, our bilateral engagements have been more substantial." He added that there has been an "upward trend" in ties over the past nine months.
The two sides decided to establish an Expert Group under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs to work on early delimitation measures. They also agreed to create new General Level Mechanisms in the eastern and middle sectors, expand military and diplomatic consultations, and hold the next round of SR talks in China.
Wang Yi, in his remarks, said: "We are heartened to see the stability that is now restored in the borders. Now the bilateral relationship is facing an important opportunity of improvement and growth. The Chinese side attaches great importance to the Prime Minister's visit to China to attend the SCO Summit at our invitation."
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India, China agree to reopen border trade through three Himalayan passes
Trade, travel and people-to-people links
Talks between Wang and Jaishankar focused on practical steps to restore normal exchanges. Agreements included resuming direct flight connectivity, updating the Air Services Agreement, and easing visas for tourists, business travellers, media and pilgrims.
China agreed to expand Indian pilgrimages to Kailash Mansarovar from 2026 and to share hydrological data during emergencies as part of cooperation on trans-border rivers. Both countries also agreed to reopen border trade at Lipulekh, Shipki La and Nathu La passes, as well as to commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2025 with joint events.
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India, China agree to resume direct flights between the two nations
Terrorism and other regional issues
India raised terrorism as a major concern. The MEA said the Indian side emphasised that tackling terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, was central to regional security and recalled that countering terrorism was one of the founding aims of the SCO.
Wang Yi responded by agreeing that the fight against terrorism should be given "the highest priority."
Jaishankar also flagged India's concerns about China's construction of a mega dam on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra), warning of its impact on downstream states and stressing the need for transparency.
Wang Yi's trip was the first high-level Chinese visit since the two countries completed disengagement at the remaining friction points of Demchok and Depsang in Ladakh under an agreement finalised last October. Around 50,000 to 60,000 troops from both sides remain deployed along the eastern Ladakh stretch of the LAC, but the standoff that began in 2020 has largely subsided.
The easing of tensions comes against the backdrop of fresh tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on Indian goods, a move analysts say may have nudged Delhi and Beijing to re-engage. Despite Beijing's continued support for Pakistan in the wake of Operation Sindoor after the Pahalgam attack, both countries have moved to rebuild confidence through renewed dialogue and exchanges.
This will be Prime Minister Modi's first trip to China in seven years. His last visit was for the SCO Summit in Qingdao in 2018.
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