Asia | Indo-Chinese relations

The epic bust-up between China and India could be ending

Witness calm in the Himalayas, diplomatic charm offensives and thickening trade links

Photomontage of Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping. Modi is at the top and Xi is at the bottom flipped upside down. Across the middle is a pair of hands in a handshake.
Illustration: Anthony Gerace
|Delhi

Ask an Indian diplomat about relations with China and they will repeat a well-rehearsed mantra: there can be no return to normality until peace is restored on their disputed Himalayan border. That has been the official line for most of the time since 2020, when a deadly clash occurred there between Indian and Chinese troops. On the face of it, India’s stance is a rejection of China’s suggestion that the two countries should set aside the dispute, which has pushed India closer to America, and focus on areas of mutual interest.

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This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “From break-up to make-up?”

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