https://www.scmp.com/rss/318724/feed Breaking news, analysis and opinion on relations between China and India, the second and seventh largest economies in the world, covering trade, military, border issues and tensions between Beijing and New Delhi. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi India has reportedly signed a deal to buy Russian missiles that target support aircraft as its arch-rival Pakistan and China continue to integrate their aerial weapons profiles. Russia has cleared the export of around 300 R-37M ultra-long-range air-to-air missiles in a US$1.2 billion deal, according to media reports. Malaysia-based news platform Defence Security Asia said deliveries of the missiles could begin within 12 to 18 months. India is also developing its own Astra Mk 2 and Mk 3 missiles,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3351452/could-russian-missiles-help-india-counter-its-arch-rivals-chinese-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3351452/could-russian-missiles-help-india-counter-its-arch-rivals-chinese-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 04:00:15 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi China would see India’s attempt to expand defence industry cooperation with South Korea in artillery and anti-aircraft guns as “inevitably sensitive” given Beijing’s border dispute with New Delhi in the Himalayas, according to analysts. After meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday as part of his three-day visit to India, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung announced that Seoul and Delhi had agreed to upgrade their economic cooperation, focusing on vital sectors such as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3351324/why-china-will-see-indias-latest-defence-deal-south-korea-inevitably-sensitive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3351324/why-china-will-see-indias-latest-defence-deal-south-korea-inevitably-sensitive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 01:00:20 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju A cautious reset in India-China relations is taking root, according to analysts, with the two rivals increasingly walling off their border disputes from expanding cooperation on trade, security and multilateral diplomacy. The clearest marker yet came last week in New Delhi, where the two sides held their first-ever bilateral consultations focused exclusively on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Eurasian security bloc that also includes Russia, Iran, Pakistan and four Central Asian... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350732/india-and-china-wall-border-rows-focus-trade-and-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350732/india-and-china-wall-border-rows-focus-trade-and-security?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:12:46 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan A stretch of awkward diplomacy is unfolding in the Indo-Pacific. After India’s 2025 term as the Quad’s rotating chair ended without a summit, New Delhi is planning to host a foreign ministers’ meeting that could be framed as a leaders-level discussion, even if the top leaders do not attend, according to two people familiar with the matter. The move is seen as a way to smooth India’s ruffled feathers on several counts. “It’s akin to putting lipstick on a pig,” said Sourabh Gupta of the Institute... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350230/quad-summit-plan-turns-uneasy-india-pushes-ahead-without-top-leaders-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350230/quad-summit-plan-turns-uneasy-india-pushes-ahead-without-top-leaders-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:17:13 +0000 Wendy Wu Wendy Wu China should support India’s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, a prominent US economist has suggested, saying the two Asian powers could overcome historical grievances and political distrust to inject stability into the world. “China’s real interest is true, stable multipolarity,” Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs told a seminar in Beijing on Friday, urging India not to become a pawn in a US game to hold China back. “I believe that China should, after... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347428/china-india-and-why-jeffrey-sachs-says-us-needs-make-un-great-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347428/china-india-and-why-jeffrey-sachs-says-us-needs-make-un-great-again?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 13:00:10 +0000 Ambuj Sahu Ambuj Sahu In April 2020, as the world struggled with the Covid-19 pandemic and soldiers from India and China moved towards a large-scale border stand-off, New Delhi amended its foreign direct investment (FDI) policy to require prior government approval for all investments from countries sharing a land border with India – a measure directed at China. Nearly six years on, India has changed its FDI policy again. It is a significant move for India-China relations. During the pandemic, the FDI regulation... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346614/indias-reopening-chinese-investment-reflects-strategic-pragmatism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346614/indias-reopening-chinese-investment-reflects-strategic-pragmatism?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong By the second half of the 21st century, the Sino-Indian relationship will become the world’s most significant geopolitical relationship, dislodging even the complex China-US cooperative rivalry. By 2050, the world’s three largest economies are likely to comprise some combination of China, India and the United States. PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts this exact order – with the US having the highest per capita income but the smallest population. Both Asian powerhouses enjoy significant theoretical... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346270/boosting-china-india-ties-should-be-pillar-hong-kongs-five-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346270/boosting-china-india-ties-should-be-pillar-hong-kongs-five-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang India has relaxed curbs on Chinese investments in certain sectors to attract more foreign capital, as Beijing and New Delhi continue to gradually repair their economic relationship after years of tense relations. In a cabinet statement released on Tuesday, New Delhi introduced a fast-track approval mechanism for investments from land-bordering countries – including China. The move amends a previous restriction that had mandated government scrutiny for all such capital inflows. Under the new... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346213/india-opens-door-more-chinese-investment-after-6-year-freeze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346213/india-opens-door-more-chinese-investment-after-6-year-freeze?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 08:34:17 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou China plans to further strengthen its strategic transport network in sensitive border regions over the next five years to fortify and better project power along its remote frontiers amid rising geopolitical uncertainty. One project involves building a 394km (245-mile) highway linking the northern and southern sides of the rugged Tianshan Mountains in far-western Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, according to the draft 15th five-year plan released last week. The route will run parallel to a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346094/how-china-plans-greater-power-projection-xinjiang-and-tibet-over-next-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346094/how-china-plans-greater-power-projection-xinjiang-and-tibet-over-next-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 09:10:04 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Not far from the fringe of the disputed Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, in a remote valley to the north of the Karakoram mountain range, China’s road building programme has encountered another tough diplomatic posture from New Delhi. In January, India’s external affairs ministry said the stretch was “Indian territory” and that it had “consistently protested with the Chinese side against attempts to alter the ground reality”. Beijing responded that the area “belongs to China”, adding... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343391/why-harsh-words-between-china-and-india-over-remote-inhospitable-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343391/why-harsh-words-between-china-and-india-over-remote-inhospitable-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma India and China opened a new round of strategic dialogue as US tariffs on their exports spur the two Asian giants to broaden global trade ties and move beyond past disputes. Both countries “uphold the strategic perception that China and India are cooperative partners instead of rivals”, China’s foreign ministry said in a statement after Tuesday’s meeting in New Delhi between Executive Vice-Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. “China and India should deepen mutual... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3343183/china-india-find-common-cause-push-multipolar-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3343183/china-india-find-common-cause-push-multipolar-world?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:07:47 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Senior diplomats from China and India met in New Delhi on Tuesday for what Beijing described as a new round of strategic dialogue, emphasising the need to view each other as partners rather than competitors amid shifting global dynamics. India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri hosted China’s Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, who was in the country for the Brics Sherpa Meeting from February 8 to 10. The two sides’ readouts of the meeting, however, revealed a persistent gap in how the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343113/china-and-india-seek-reset-talks-old-fault-lines-remain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343113/china-and-india-seek-reset-talks-old-fault-lines-remain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:16:30 +0000 C. Uday Bhaskar C. Uday Bhaskar For the India-China-US triangle, the new US-India trade deal, announced with Trumpian flourish on social media on Monday, has potentially significant economic, geopolitical and strategic implications. US President Donald Trump’s post, which came after a phone call with Narendra Modi, said the Indian prime minister had committed to “BUY AMERICAN”, including over US$500 billion of US products. It also said Modi had “agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3342263/why-new-us-india-trade-agreement-big-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3342263/why-new-us-india-trade-agreement-big-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Fan Chen,Shi Jiangtao,Cao Jiaxuan Fan Chen,Shi Jiangtao,Cao Jiaxuan In the deepening shadow of US-China rivalry, India’s back-to-back trade pacts with the United States and the European Union mark a major tilt towards stronger economic ties with the West. While critical details – especially the scope of any reduction in Russian energy imports under the vague US agreement – remain unclear, experts predict the twin deals will give India leverage in its relationship with China and may slow the fragile thaw between New Delhi and Beijing. Meanwhile, New Delhi is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342600/could-indias-twin-trade-agreements-set-back-its-improving-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342600/could-indias-twin-trade-agreements-set-back-its-improving-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 08:00:17 +0000 Wang Xiangwei Wang Xiangwei US President Donald Trump is bringing back the law of the jungle to the world as he systematically dismantles the post-war rules-based international order built and forged by the United States and its allies. His speech last month at Davos, Switzerland, contained a blunt message: the US was done “keeping the whole world afloat”, where “everybody took advantage of the United States”. Trump is unabashed about what he wants. He flexed American muscle and ignored international norms by abducting... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341790/beijing-must-be-clear-eyed-about-its-national-interests-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341790/beijing-must-be-clear-eyed-about-its-national-interests-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China has plans to increase its investments in Nepal to take advantage of the country’s rich hydropower resources, according to a Nepalese official. Nepal’s hydropower sector is particularly attractive to Chinese investors because there is potential to sell some of the power generated to India, said Hong Kong-based Consul General Bindeswar Prasad Lekhak. The Himalayan nation, which borders China and India, has vast untapped hydropower resources and it is keen to attract more foreign investment... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341838/china-step-investment-nepals-hydropower-sector-nepalese-official?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341838/china-step-investment-nepals-hydropower-sector-nepalese-official?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 02:30:12 +0000 Mandy Zuo,Ji Siqi Mandy Zuo,Ji Siqi As Shanghai resident Adam Liu drives his new Mercedes CLA – a German-manufactured car he has long revered – this edition of the luxury vehicle is carrying another point of pride: a smart system hailing from his home country. The recently launched pure-electric vehicle was assembled in Rastatt, Germany, but engineers at Beijing-based ByteDance designed its interactive system, based on the popular chatbot Doubao. “To me, it’s a fusion of German meticulous craftsmanship and China’s smart digital... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341689/how-chinas-tech-prowess-could-help-it-overtake-india-office-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341689/how-chinas-tech-prowess-could-help-it-overtake-india-office-world?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang The United States is likely to lose its clear edge over China in strategic relations with major nations by 2035, a prominent Chinese political scientist has predicted. Yan Xuetong, honorary dean of Tsinghua University’s Institute of International Relations, said strategic competition between Beijing and Washington was likely to remain intense in the coming decade and could escalate into a crisis during US President Donald Trump’s second term, but the risk of direct war could decline under... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340468/how-narrowing-china-us-gap-could-reshape-global-power-play-2035?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340468/how-narrowing-china-us-gap-could-reshape-global-power-play-2035?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 14:30:44 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju India plans to lift long-standing restrictions on Chinese companies bidding for government contracts, a move officials say is aimed at easing shortages and project delays as relations with Beijing show tentative signs of stabilising. The proposal, first reported by Reuters, would roll back curbs, imposed after the two countries’ deadly 2020 border clash in the Galwan Valley, that effectively shut Chinese firms out of a vast segment of India’s public procurement market. In October 2024, India and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339772/india-proposes-reopening-government-bidding-chinese-firms-ties-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339772/india-proposes-reopening-government-bidding-chinese-firms-ties-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 02:00:21 +0000 Gaurav Kumar Gaurav Kumar In 2025, India approved a number of major defence packages, together worth US$30 billion. Such rapid procurement approvals are relatively rare by Indian standards. However, what they signal to the region will depend less on such announcements and more on actual outcomes. To some observers, especially after India’s four-day clash with Pakistan during what the former called “Operation Sindoor” last May, the surge appears to mark the start of a regional arms race. That interpretation is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3339491/india-fuelling-arms-race-asia-or-closing-deterrence-gap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3339491/india-fuelling-arms-race-asia-or-closing-deterrence-gap?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju India’s defence modernisation is on track even as it faces the challenges of ensuring that weapon systems are deployed quickly and boosting its military’s capabilities to counter external threats, according to analysts. Last year, the Indian government approved three major defence packages totalling US$30 billion out of the country’s total defence budget of US$78.7 billion for the current financial year, which was ratified by parliament in February. The three packages were cleared in the second... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338568/indias-military-upgrade-counter-regional-threats-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338568/indias-military-upgrade-counter-regional-threats-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 05:30:09 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan In a pointed display of diplomatic unity, the US ambassador to China announced that the envoys of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) nations – the United States, Australia, India, and Japan – had met in Beijing, just as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted live-fire exercises during its large-scale military drills around Taiwan. “The Quad is a force for good, working to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific. It is always great to meet with the Quad Ambassadors here in Beijing,” said... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3338218/us-envoy-backs-free-open-indo-pacific-quad-meeting-beijing-amid-pla-taiwan-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3338218/us-envoy-backs-free-open-indo-pacific-quad-meeting-beijing-amid-pla-taiwan-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 21:31:31 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Beijing and New Delhi have taken another step towards normalising economic ties after a five-year rift, as China moves to introduce a simplified visa process for Indian nationals that could help it tap India’s fast-growing travel market. The Chinese embassy in New Delhi said earlier this month that Indian citizens would be able to apply for visas online from December 22, sparing them time-consuming initial in-person visits to the embassy or other consular offices in the country. The move follows... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337089/china-eases-visa-rules-india-tapping-us216-billion-travel-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337089/china-eases-visa-rules-india-tapping-us216-billion-travel-market?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 03:00:17 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China has objected to India’s efforts to celebrate a 17th-century Dalai Lama well known for his love of poetry, seeing it as an attempt to challenge Beijing’s territorial claims in the region and its control over Tibetan Buddhism, according to experts. India hosted an international symposium on the sixth Dalai Lama in Tawang, his birthplace, from December 3 to 6. Pema Khandu, the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, inaugurated the event, which was attended by local officials and scholars of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337072/china-warns-india-over-poet-monk-dont-even-think-about-stealing-our-6th-dalai-lama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337072/china-warns-india-over-poet-monk-dont-even-think-about-stealing-our-6th-dalai-lama?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Dec 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen One of China’s newest main battle tanks, the Type 99B, is an upgraded model designed to perform better in high-altitude and cold weather operations, according to state media – suggesting it could be sent to the Himalayan border with India. The tank is the latest of the Type 99 armoured vehicles and was among the military hardware unveiled during China’s huge Victory Day parade in Beijing in September. State broadcaster CCTV reported on Thursday that the upgraded model has a raft of new features.... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3336467/chinese-main-battle-tank-upgraded-high-altitudes-could-be-sent-border-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3336467/chinese-main-battle-tank-upgraded-high-altitudes-could-be-sent-border-india?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:00:30 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Despite a high-level phone call between US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, 2025 is likely to end without the long-promised US-India trade deal, as the “America first” leader continues to stall the agreement while working to cement improved ties with Beijing. The call came just days after Modi hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin. While the Indian Prime Minister described his conversation with Trump as “warm and engaging” in a social media post,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3336135/trump-and-modi-have-warm-phone-call-2025-unlikely-end-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3336135/trump-and-modi-have-warm-phone-call-2025-unlikely-end-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 23:00:52 +0000 Ivan Lidarev Ivan Lidarev On December 4, India welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin with great pomp for a two-day state visit. The visit, the first since 2021, coincided with a huge India-Russia business forum and embodied the “special and privileged strategic partnership” between New Delhi and Moscow. The two sides discussed exporting US-sanctioned Russian oil and arms to India and agreed to boost trade, connectivity and joint manufacturing. Predictably, the visit upset the West and generated fresh tensions in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3335693/3-reasons-indias-partnership-russia-endures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3335693/3-reasons-indias-partnership-russia-endures?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou The fragile rapprochement between China and India faces a fresh test as New Delhi looks to promote its links with the sixth Dalai Lama, observers have warned. India is hosting the first international conference of the 17th century Tibetan spiritual leader at his birthplace in today’s Tawang, a mountain town in an area that India governs as the border state of Arunachal Pradesh and China claims as Zangnan or southern Tibet. Pema Khandu, the state chief minister, opened the four-day event at... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335100/how-17th-century-dalai-lama-could-test-china-india-border-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335100/how-17th-century-dalai-lama-could-test-china-india-border-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 03:00:08 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow As New Delhi gears up for a long-range missile test in the Indian Ocean, the presence of Chinese survey vessels in the region signals Beijing’s intention to step up monitoring of its regional rival’s capabilities. Observers note that China could be challenging India’s interest in the latter’s “backyard” by capitalising on opportunities arising from the missile test. Indian media last week reported that China had deployed a fourth research vessel, the Lan Hai 101, in the Indian Ocean, waters... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334904/india-prepares-missile-test-presence-chinese-survey-vessels-marks-power-jostle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334904/india-prepares-missile-test-presence-chinese-survey-vessels-marks-power-jostle?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 08:44:38 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang The United States may have played a “critical” role in shaping the situation that led to the brief but bloody border war between China and India in 1962, an academic study has argued. The Asian neighbours have been working to improve relations in recent months, following a deadly clash in 2020. But the sensitivity of the border issue – one of the most intractable disputes between the two countries – can be traced back to the 1962 conflict, which left a profound fault line. However, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334785/what-role-did-us-play-run-1962-war-between-china-and-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334785/what-role-did-us-play-run-1962-war-between-china-and-india?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 01:30:18 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Zhou Bo is a retired senior colonel in the People’s Liberation Army and a senior fellow at Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy. His military career included roles in the Ministry of National Defence’s Foreign Affairs Office and as a defence attaché. Zhou is the author of the recent book Should the World Fear China? SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions series. This article will be available to regular SCMP subscribers next... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3334347/ex-pla-colonel-taiwan-question-ukraine-war-china-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3334347/ex-pla-colonel-taiwan-question-ukraine-war-china-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 02:00:13 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Beijing has rejected claims that Chinese authorities detained and harassed an Indian national born in a disputed border region, after the traveller alleged that she was held for more than 18 hours while transiting through Shanghai. On Sunday, a woman who identified herself as Pem Wang Thongdok said on social media that she had been “held” against her will at a Shanghai airport on Friday. She said she had been travelling from London to Japan via Shanghai. According to the post, Chinese border... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334121/china-denies-harassing-indian-woman-born-disputed-border-region-over-invalid-passport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334121/china-denies-harassing-indian-woman-born-disputed-border-region-over-invalid-passport?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 11:25:32 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A tentative thaw in India–China ties is rekindling hopes that the two Asian giants could move from strategic rivalry to clean-energy cooperation at a moment when the Global South is searching for leverage in climate negotiations. This cautious warming, after four years of strained relations, has unfolded alongside renewed trade in green-energy components and their increasingly aligned push at Cop30 in Brazil for more climate finance and fairer rules, a convergence that analysts say could subtly... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3333729/cop30-india-and-china-align-climate-ties-thaw-going-same-direction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3333729/cop30-india-and-china-align-climate-ties-thaw-going-same-direction?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2025 08:00:24 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen India earlier this month inaugurated a high-altitude airbase near its disputed border with China, prompting analysts to suggest that the development capped long-term efforts to upgrade infrastructure there rather than posing a threat to Beijing. According to reports from multiple media outlets, the Mudh-Nyoma Air Force Station is perched at a height of about 13,700 feet (4,176 metres) and is only 30km (19 miles) from the Line of Actual Control, the de facto boundary separating India and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333815/indias-new-airbase-china-border-infrastructure-upgrade-not-threat-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333815/indias-new-airbase-china-border-infrastructure-upgrade-not-threat-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2025 04:00:11 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan China turned a brief but intense India-Pakistan conflict in May into a live testing ground for its advanced weaponry and intelligence systems, and then aggressively marketed those results to undercut Western arms sales, a US congressional panel said in its annual report on Tuesday. “Beijing opportunistically leveraged the conflict to test and advertise the sophistication of its weapons,” a new report from the bipartisan US-China Economic and Security Review Commission stated bluntly. It... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3333321/china-leveraged-india-pakistan-conflict-trial-and-tout-its-military-strengths-says-us-panel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3333321/china-leveraged-india-pakistan-conflict-trial-and-tout-its-military-strengths-says-us-panel?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 22:26:11 +0000 Aparna Divya Aparna Divya In recent months, India-China relations have returned to normality after a long decade of confrontation. With the resumption of direct flights after five years, recent corps commander-level talks, the reopening of the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage route, the relaxation of barriers on hi-tech supplies and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping exchanging pleasantries at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, a quiet detente is under way. This cooperation could... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332286/can-china-and-india-turn-tactical-calm-strategic-moderation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332286/can-china-and-india-turn-tactical-calm-strategic-moderation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 12:30:11 +0000 Farwa Aamer Farwa Aamer The year began with promise for US-India relations. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington reinforced both countries’ intent to sustain the partnership’s momentum. Their personal rapport, forged during US President Donald Trump’s first term, appeared to offer political capital for a results-driven agenda. India entered 2025 buoyed by a bipartisan consensus in Washington that New Delhi was central to the Indo-Pacific balance. Yet as the year closes, optimism has faded. A... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3332216/how-india-and-us-can-find-their-way-back-better-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3332216/how-india-and-us-can-find-their-way-back-better-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse India and China resumed direct flights on Sunday after a five-year suspension, a move important both for trade and a symbolic step as Asia’s giants cautiously rebuild relations. IndiGo flight 6E1703 from Kolkata touched down in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou just before 4am, officially resuming non-stop air links that had been suspended since 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent geopolitical tensions. The neighbours – the world’s two most populous nations – remain... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330404/india-and-china-resume-direct-flights-ties-improve-after-5-year-suspension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330404/india-and-china-resume-direct-flights-ties-improve-after-5-year-suspension?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 21:19:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Nepal’s Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Sunday expanded her interim cabinet which was formed in the wake of a youth-led uprising last month, inducting two ministers seen as popular among young people. The unrest on September 8-9 was triggered by a brief ban on social media but fuelled by long-standing frustration over economic hardship and corruption. Violence during the protests, which led to the collapse of the previous government, killed at least 73 people and left parliament, courts and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3330392/nepals-karki-adds-popular-volunteer-organiser-doctor-cabinet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3330392/nepals-karki-adds-popular-volunteer-organiser-doctor-cabinet?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 13:22:41 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,Seong Hyeon Choi Yuanyue Dang,Seong Hyeon Choi Beijing is likely to view the growing defence cooperation between India, South Korea and Australia as a strategic effort to contain China in the Indo-Pacific, according to analysts. They said closer defence ties between the three reflected concerns over a possible security vacuum in case the United States reduced its military presence in the region. The Indian naval vessel Sahyadri docked at Busan naval port in South Korea on October 13, according to a statement from India’s Ministry of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329978/counterweight-or-containment-how-china-views-defence-ties-between-asia-pacific-allies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329978/counterweight-or-containment-how-china-views-defence-ties-between-asia-pacific-allies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 04:00:08 +0000 Nikola Mikovic Nikola Mikovic Western sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine have shifted global energy flows, with India and China emerging as prominent buyers of Russian oil. The question is no longer from whom New Delhi and Beijing will purchase energy, but in which currency they will pay. Amid warming ties between India and China following US President Donald Trump’s imposition of sweeping tariffs on Indian exports after New Delhi refused to stop purchasing Russian oil, Indian traders are reportedly asking... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3328799/how-indias-purchases-russian-oil-are-reshaping-global-energy-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3328799/how-indias-purchases-russian-oil-are-reshaping-global-energy-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 08:30:09 +0000 Richard Heydarian Richard Heydarian In a fast and furious year of devastating wars and high-stakes diplomacy, the historic meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands out as a potential harbinger of a new global order. In his first visit to China in seven years, Modi agreed with Xi that Asia’s two powers should be “partners” rather than “rivals”, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin. Modi stressed that “their differences should not turn into... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3328544/why-india-hedging-its-bets-another-china-charm-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3328544/why-india-hedging-its-bets-another-china-charm-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan More than two dozen Democrats warned US President Donald Trump in a letter this week that his “America First” tariffs are pushing India towards China. Republicans refused to join them, underscoring deep political divisions and testing Washington’s long-held bipartisan support for New Delhi. The letter, which squarely blamed Trump’s policies for “creating negative consequences for both countries”, was signed by Ro Khanna, an Indian-American from California, Deborah Ross of North Carolina, and 19... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3328429/democrats-press-trump-repair-fraying-india-ties-republicans-ignore-plea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3328429/democrats-press-trump-repair-fraying-india-ties-republicans-ignore-plea?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 15:35:34 +0000 Bibek Raj Kandel,Christina Monroe Bibek Raj Kandel,Christina Monroe As the global order fragments, India’s foreign policy orientation has become a question of consequence far beyond South Asia. For three decades, “Look East” has been New Delhi’s mantra, positioning itself as an emerging player in the broader region. The strategy has included engaging the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, deepening India’s presence in Asia-Pacific institutions and eventually leaning into the “Indo-Pacific” frameworks shaped by the United States, Japan and Australia. It... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3327966/indias-diplomatic-weight-best-exercised-closest-its-borders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3327966/indias-diplomatic-weight-best-exercised-closest-its-borders?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan India’s Air Force chief on Friday claimed the military destroyed both Chinese-made jets and US-built F-16s during clashes with Pakistan earlier this year, offering New Delhi’s first detailed account of its rival’s losses. “As far as air defence is concerned, we have evidence of one long-range strike … along with that five fighters, hi-tech fighters between F-16 and JF-17 class, our system tells,” Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh told reporters, referring to the four days of fighting in May... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3327849/india-says-it-destroyed-pakistans-chinese-and-us-made-fighter-jets-may-clashes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3327849/india-says-it-destroyed-pakistans-chinese-and-us-made-fighter-jets-may-clashes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 17:23:44 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen China and India have finalised a schedule to resume direct flights, with the first trips set to restart later this month as both countries cautiously ease bilateral tensions amid increasingly turbulent geopolitical headwinds. The flights will be subject to the approvals of the designated carriers based on commercial demand and “operational criteria”, according to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. India’s largest airline, IndiGo, said on Thursday that it would resume flights to China on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327782/china-india-direct-flights-resume-both-sides-move-cautiously-repair-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327782/china-india-direct-flights-resume-both-sides-move-cautiously-repair-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 09:13:55 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Beijing and New Delhi should maintain a long-term strategic vision and make sure their border row does not define relations or hinder cooperation, China’s top envoy to India said at an event marking the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. “As two major ancient civilisations and developing countries, the relationship between China and India has long transcended the bilateral scope, bearing global and strategic significance,” ambassador Xu Feihong said on Wednesday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326818/china-india-boundary-legacy-should-not-define-relations-beijing-envoy-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326818/china-india-boundary-legacy-should-not-define-relations-beijing-envoy-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 08:33:30 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan India remains a democratic counterweight to China in the Indo-Pacific region, a senior US State Department official said on Wednesday, dismissing any suggestion that sharp bilateral disputes over trade had fundamentally changed that position for US President Donald Trump’s administration. “Absolutely still see India as a critical partner in the Indo-Pacific,” the official said, suggesting India is the “indo” in Indo-Pacific and adding that ties with New Delhi remain strong. The official noted... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326745/us-reaffirms-india-counterweight-china-despite-trade-rifts-pakistan-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326745/us-reaffirms-india-counterweight-china-despite-trade-rifts-pakistan-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 22:24:28 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan India and China, recently seen moving towards rapprochement after years of strained ties, held separate meetings with Global South countries on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, highlighting a quiet rivalry for leadership of the developing world. The world’s two most-populous countries had been expected to present a united front as global trade and multilateralism face increasing headwinds under US President Donald Trump’s second term. Instead, their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326737/india-and-china-vie-global-south-leadership-un-gatherings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326737/india-and-china-vie-global-south-leadership-un-gatherings?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 17:11:23 +0000 Reuters Reuters Security forces patrolled the streets on Thursday in India’s Himalayan region of Ladakh, where a curfew was clamped in some areas a day after four people were killed in violent protests demanding statehood for the federal territory and job quotas. Television images showed troop patrols amid shops and businesses closed during the curfew and a protest call against the deaths from the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which represents political, social and trade groups in the region. “I demand a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3326735/4-killed-indias-ladakh-statehood-protests-turn-violent-near-china-border?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3326735/4-killed-indias-ladakh-statehood-protests-turn-violent-near-china-border?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 15:13:28 +0000