Geopolitics & Resilience
2026-04-26
10 minute read
14 sources
India and China in 2026: Patrols Resume, Trade Reopens, Trust Stays Conditional
After a four year freeze that began with the Galwan clash, Delhi and Beijing have reopened the boundary, restored business visas, and resumed direct flights. The economic rewiring runs ahead of the political reset, with a record USD 85 billion bilateral deficit forcing Press Note 3 reform on the Indian side.
The India and China relationship in 2026 sits at a managed thaw rather than a strategic reset. The October 21, 2024 Ministry of External Affairs announcement that Indian and Chinese troops would resume coordinated patrolling at Demchok and Depsang, followed by the Modi and Xi meeting at the Kazan BRICS summit on October 23, 2024, ended th...