Why India remains wary of China despite talks

India Today

a day ago

For centuries, India and China have shared a long and uneasy border, a frontier defined by mountains, rivers and the scars of repeated conflict. In recent years, both nations have made attempts to talk peace. Leaders have met, ministers have travelled, and disengagement has been announced. Yet, the shadow of mistrust lingers. Behind every handshake, however, lies another partnership, one that binds Beijing with Islamabad. From military hardware to political backing, from economic corridors to disputed valleys, China and Pakistan remain iron-clad allies. And often, this partnership comes at India's expense.advertisement
As Washington embarks on a new tariff war with Beijing under former President Donald Trump, global alignments are being redrawn. Some believe this could push India closer to China. Yet the question is not simply whether the elephant and the dragon will dance together, but whether they should.Wang Yi Arrives in Delhi Amid Sensitive TimesChinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's two-day visit to India raises an uncomfortable question for New Delhi: can India really trust China, even as Beijing deepens its embrace of Pakistan? The visit is officially framed as a chance to reset ties, but beneath the handshakes and formal statements lies a harsher reality-India must decide whether dialogue with China is diplomacy or delusion.Nearly five years after the Galwan clashes, India and China continue to maintain between 50,000 and 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The standoff has not ended; it has merely frozen into a tense watchfulness. During his visit, Wang Yi is meeting External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the two officials tasked with managing the boundary question, and will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ahead of Modi's potential first visit to China in seven years.The Shadow of PakistanTrust, however, does not come easily. Behind the veneer of engagement is Beijing's parallel partnership with Islamabad. Wang Yi's next stop after India is Pakistan, a move that undermines any illusion of a singular focus on India. At the very moment Beijing speaks of stabilising ties with Delhi, it strengthens the military and diplomatic muscle of India's most entrenched adversary.In recent months, Pakistan has received Hangor-class submarines, J-10C fighter jets, and diplomatic cover from Beijing following India's anti-terror strikes. Beijing even hosted Pakistan's army chief, General Asim Munir, shortly after his visit to Washington. For India, the optics are striking: China presents itself as a peace partner on the Himalayas while bolstering Pakistan's military capabilities.Historical DistrustThe challenge is not limited to Pakistan. India has observed Beijing's unilateral actions with suspicion: the mega-dam on the Yarlung Zangpo threatens water flows into the Brahmaputra; Chinese survey ships dock in Sri Lanka and the Maldives under the guise of research; and Beijing engages Indian media and intellectual circles to soften perceptions even as mistrust deepens.India has not forgotten 1963, when Pakistan handed over the Shaksgam Valley, part of Indian territory under illegal occupation to China. The valley remains under Chinese control today. Such historical precedents make separating dialogue from deception exceptionally difficult.advertisementThe Brahmaputra dam, approved in late 2024 and touted as the 'project of the century,' is the largest hydropower dam in the world, at an estimated cost of US $167 billion. While celebrated in China, downstream India and Bangladesh see it as a strategic weapon, with potential ecological, food security, and geopolitical consequences.The China-Pakistan AxisWhenever India takes decisive action against cross-border terrorism, Beijing appears to side with Islamabad. Pakistani forces have deployed Chinese-supplied fighter jets in air defence, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently inaugurated a Rocket Force Command underpinned by Chinese support. The Shaksgam cession of 1963 remains a stark reminder of the enduring Sino-Pakistan alignment.Engagement Without IllusionsIndia's scepticism is not paranoia; it is grounded in repeated patterns. Along the LAC, Chinese troops maintain forward positions. In the Indian Ocean, Chinese research vessels carry out surveys with potential military applications. In South Asia, Beijing bankrolls Pakistan despite regional instability. At multilateral forums, China blocks India's efforts to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorists. The message is clear: China's friendship with Pakistan undermines genuine trust in India.Some argue engagement is necessary, not because China is trustworthy, but because disengagement carries risks. Trade worth over $100 billion, and cooperation in global forums like BRICS and SCO, necessitates continued dialogue. But engagement does not equal trust — it is pragmatic risk management, not reconciliation.advertisementLessons from HistoryHistory offers sobering lessons: the 1962 border war, the 1963 Shaksgam cession, the 2020 Galwan clash, and the 2022 denial of Wang Yi's meeting with Modi all warn that trust without verification is dangerous.As Modi prepares for a possible visit to China and Jaishankar hosts Wang Yi, the stage is set for another chapter in an uneasy relationship. Handshakes will be polite, communiqus diplomatic, optics carefully managed. Yet the underlying question remains: can India trust China while Beijing maintains its close ties with Pakistan?- Ends