India and China work to improve ties amid Trump's unpredictability, Asia News
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to visit New Delhi next week for talks with India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on their disputed Himalayan border, the second such meeting since a deadly clash in 2020 between Indian and Chinese troops, two people familiar with the matter said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of the month when he travels to China — his first visit in seven years — to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a regional security bloc.
The engagements follow a thaw in India and China's five-year standoff after an agreement last October on patrolling their Himalayan border, which eased the strain on bilateral ties that had hurt trade, investment and air travel.
Relations were further boosted in recent weeks amid new tensions in India-US ties after decades of progress, analysts said, as Trump imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian exports to the United States - one of the highest levels among Washington's strategic partners.
The United States and China, meanwhile, this week extended a tariff truce for another 90 days, staving off triple-digit duties on each other's goods.
China and India have already agreed to resume direct flights suspended since 2020 and are discussing easing trade barriers, including reopening border trade at three Himalayan crossings.
While border trade accounts for only a small portion of the US$127.7 billion (S$163.9 billion) bilateral trade recorded in the last fiscal year, its revival is seen as a symbolic step toward normalising economic ties.
"We have remained engaged with the Chinese side to facilitate the resumption of border trade through all the designated trade points," India's foreign ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, told a regular press conference on Thursday. Improving residents' lives
Beijing told Reuters it was also ready to resume border trade that had for a long time played an "important role in improving the lives of residents along the border and enhancing exchanges between the two peoples".
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson also said Beijing has been in close communication with New Delhi to "push for the resumption of direct flights as soon as possible".
India's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the exact timing.
Meanwhile, India's government think-tank has proposed easing investment rules that effectively require additional scrutiny for Chinese companies — another sign of a potential shift in economic engagement.
[[nid:721246]]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
24 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Polish president shows off military hardware, sees Russia 'floundering' in Ukraine
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Polish President Karol Nawrocki speaks during the military parade on the Polish Armed Forces Day, commemorating Poland's victory over the Soviet Union's Red Army in 1920, in Warsaw, Poland, August 15, 2025. Robert Kowalewski/Agencja via REUTERS WARSAW - Russian forces have floundered in Ukraine and history shows Russia's army can be beaten in combat, Poland's president told a military parade on Friday marking the 105th anniversary of a victory over the Red Army by Polish defenders. Polish President Karol Nawrocki, an ally of Donald Trump's MAGA movement, spoke as the eyes of the world were focused on Alaska, where the U.S. president will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for talks on the war in Ukraine. The parade marked the 105th anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw during which Poland defeated the invading Red Army and prevented Soviet forces pushing towards western Europe. "Russia is not invincible," Nawrocki said in a speech before the parade. "It lost to Japan at the beginning of the 20th century, it was defeated by the Poles in 1920, and today, for over three years... it has been floundering after its attack on Ukraine thanks to the support of allies and the solidarity of free nations, including, and at times especially, Poland." Already tense relations between Warsaw and Moscow have hit new lows since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. NATO member Poland says its own role as a hub for aid for Kyiv has made it a target of Russian sabotage, cyberattacks and disinformation. Nawrocki joined a Ukraine teleconference with Europe an leaders and Trump on Wednesday that discussed the U.S. president's forthcoming summit with Putin. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng fined $30k in case linked to ex-minister Iswaran after judge cites judicial mercy Singapore Why was Ong Beng Seng fined instead of jailed? Key points from the case Asia Sun Haiyan, ex-China ambassador to S'pore, detained for questioning: Sources Singapore Love that saves lives: Seniors in Singapore overcome challenges to donate organs Singapore Over 600 orchids on display at Gardens by the Bay to mark 60 years of Singapore-Malaysia ties Singapore Father of 4 among S'poreans arrested in CNB raids; drugs worth over $128k seized Warsaw, NATO's leading spender on defence as a percentage of GDP, has ramped up its military spending since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It plans to spend 5% of GDP on defence in 2026 to repel what it says is a renewed threat from the east. Around 50 military aircraft, including F-16 fighter jets, flew overhead as 4,000 Polish soldiers accompanied by around 200 troops from NATO allies marched alongside the Vistula river beside Leopard, K2 and Abrams tanks, Borsuk and Rosomak armoured vehicles as well as Patriot and HIMARS artillery systems. A naval parade featuring around 20 vessels also took place in the Baltic sea. REUTERS
CNA
24 minutes ago
- CNA
India's Independence Day: Modi warns Pakistan will face punishment for any future attacks on India
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rolled out sweeping economic and security plans as the country marks its 79th Independence Day. He also warned that Pakistan could be punished for any future attacks on India. Across the border, Pakistan marked its Independence Day on Aug 14, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announcing a new military force to oversee missile combat capabilities in a conventional war. Ishan Garg and Hira Mustafa report.
CNA
24 minutes ago
- CNA
‘High stakes': Trump touts mutual respect with Putin as he heads to summit
ANCHORAGE, Alaska: United States President Donald Trump and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will meet on Friday (Aug 15) in Alaska in a high-risk summit that could prove decisive for the future of Ukraine. Putin will step onto Western soil for the first time since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a relentless war that has killed tens of thousands of people and has seen Russia make rapid gains just before the summit. Trump extended the invitation at the Russian leader's suggestion, but the US president has since been defensive and warned that the meeting could be over within minutes if Putin does not compromise. "HIGH STAKES", he posted on his Truth Social platform shortly before boarding Air Force One and taking off for the near seven-hour flight to Anchorage. Every word and gesture will be closely watched by European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was not included and has publicly refused pressure from Trump to surrender territory seized by Russia. Trump has called the summit a "feel-out meeting" to test Putin, whom he last saw in 2019. "If it's a bad meeting, it'll end very quickly, and if it's a good meeting, we're going to end up getting peace in the pretty near future," Trump said on Thursday. He gave the summit a one-in-four chance of failure - though he seemed optimistic when talking to reporters en route to Anchorage on Friday. "There's a good respect level on both sides and I think something's going to come out of it," he said aboard Air Force One. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov responded to a question from Russian state TV by saying that Moscow would not make guesses on the outcome of the meeting. "We never make any predictions ahead of time," Lavrov said after he reached Alaska, wearing what appeared to be a shirt with "USSR" written across it in Cyrillic script. Russia's "position is clear and unambiguous. We will present it", he said. Trump has promised to consult with European leaders and Zelenskyy, saying that any final agreement would come in a three-way meeting with Putin and the Ukrainian president to "divvy up" territory. TRUMP'S LATEST SHIFT Trump has boasted of his relationship with Putin, blamed predecessor Joe Biden for the war and had vowed before his return to the White House in January that he would be able to bring peace within 24 hours. But despite repeated calls to Putin, and a stunning Feb 28 White House meeting in which Trump publicly berated Zelenskyy, the Russian leader has shown no signs of compromise. Trump has acknowledged his frustration with Putin and warned of "very severe consequences" if he does not accept a ceasefire - but also agreed to see him in Alaska. The talks are set to begin at 11.30am on Friday (Saturday, 3am, Singapore time) at the Elmendorf Air Force Base, the largest US military installation in Alaska and a Cold War base for surveillance of the former Soviet Union. Adding to the historical significance, the United States bought Alaska in 1867 from Russia - a deal Moscow has cited to show the legitimacy of land swaps. The Kremlin said it expected Putin and Trump to meet alone with interpreters before a working lunch with aides. Neither leader is expected to step off the base into Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, where protesters have put up signs of solidarity with Ukraine. A "PERSONAL VICTORY" FOR PUTIN? The summit marks a sharp shift from the approach of Western European leaders and Biden, who vowed not to hold discussions with Russia on Ukraine's future unless Kyiv was also at the table. Putin faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, leading him to curtail travel sharply since the war began. However, the United States is not party to the Hague tribunal and Trump's Treasury Department temporarily eased sanctions on top Russian officials to allow them to travel and use bank cards in Alaska. Zelensky said on Tuesday that the Alaska summit was a "personal victory" for Putin. With the trip, Putin "is coming out of isolation" and he has "somehow postponed sanctions", which Trump had vowed to impose on Russia if there was no progress. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also called for security guarantees for Ukraine - an idea downplayed by Trump at the start of his latest term. Daniel Fried, a former US diplomat now at the Atlantic Council think tank, said that Trump had the means to pressure Putin but that the Russian leader could distract him by seeming to offer something new.
