China-India Ties and BRICS Summit: How Bilateral Tensions Shape BRICS

China-India ties Latest News

• Chinese President Xi Jinping is arriving in India to attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. This is his third visit since becoming President and his first in seven years. 
• While the stated purpose is the summit, the visit carries deep bilateral significance because of the 2020 border standoff that pushed relations to a low point. 
• Experts argue that the China-India fault line, combined with a turbulent global environment, will heavily influence the summit’s outcome.

The Uneven Journey of BRIC Members

• The term “BRIC” was coined in 2001 when Goldman Sachs analysts identified Brazil, Russia, India and China as the world’s emerging economies. 
• The grouping took shape in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Twenty-five years later, the members have followed very different paths:
  • China has surged ahead to become the world’s second-largest economy after the US.
  • India has grown at a modest pace but has been outpaced by China by a wide margin.
  • Russia has faced challenges due to wars of its own making.
  • Brazil has struggled amid frequent regime changes and scandals.
  • South Africa, a later entrant, has not lived up to expectations.
• Since the first leaders’ summit in 2009, held in the shadow of the global financial crisis, China has emerged stronger, having weathered the crisis better than many Western nations.

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China’s Rising Assertiveness

• China’s rise is not just economic. It has grown militarily with ambitions to displace the US as the leading global power. This is reflected in its aggressive posture in the South China Sea, the Indo-Pacific and along its border with India. 
• India has borne the brunt of repeated border confrontations. After the 1962 war and the 1967 clashes in Sikkim, major standoffs include:
  • 2013: Depsang, Ladakh
  • 2014: Chumar, Ladakh
  • 2017: Doklam
  • 2020 onwards: Eastern Ladakh, still ongoing with about 50,000 Indian troops deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)
    • The June 2020 clashes killed 20 Indian defence personnel, including a Colonel-rank officer, and at least four Chinese personnel.

Partial Thaw, Persistent Distrust

• Years of diplomatic and military talks led to troop disengagement in 2024. Since then, incremental steps have stabilised ties:
  • Resumption of direct flights
  • Easing of visa restrictions
  • Restarting the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra
  • Relaxation of restrictions on Chinese investments
• Yet structural differences remain. India runs a massive trade deficit with China and has repeatedly flagged the lack of market access for Indian businesses. India is also acting against Chinese firms for tax evasion.
• Most importantly, strategic and political trust has been badly damaged by the border standoff, now in its seventh year. 
• China’s collusion with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor further deepened the crisis of trust and credibility.

The Global Backdrop to the Summit

• The summit, attended by leaders of over 30 countries and groupings, takes place amid major global shifts:
  • US tariffs: President Donald Trump’s arbitrary tariff moves have cornered countries worldwide, including China and India. The two now find themselves on the same side in trying to counter the effects.
  • War on Iran: Trump’s military action against Iran has raised questions about powerful nations violating territorial integrity and sovereignty. However, China and Russia are guilty of the same in their own neighbourhoods.
  • Economic cost of the West Asia war: Energy prices and inflation have risen, and BRICS countries, as part of the Global South, are bearing the brunt.
• The key question is whether this moment of shared concerns between India and China can become an opportunity to improve ties and unite developing countries on common issues. 
• Xi’s visit is seen as a positive signal, but only to a degree.

The Iran-UAE Polarisation

• The West Asia war has split the grouping. Iran is attacking US military bases in the region, while the UAE hosts several such bases and personnel. 
• Here, India needs China’s weight to push the two members towards cooperation and present a more unified front. 
• Whether India and China can reach consensus on such matters, and build on recent gains, will shape not only their bilateral relationship but also the effectiveness of BRICS itself.

Competing Visions of BRICS

• Beijing has long viewed itself as “first among equals” within BRICS. It backed expansion from the original five members, aiding the 2023 decision that brought the grouping to its current strength of 11.
• A deeper divergence lies in purpose. China and Russia frame BRICS as an “anti-West” grouping, while India sees it as a “non-Western” grouping. 
• This is complicated by US actions against fellow members, such as tariffs on Brazil and political disagreements with South Africa.
• India is decidedly not anti-West. It has built robust ties with the US over 25 years and is pursuing closer partnerships with Europe, Australia, Canada and other Western nations. 
• India relies on the West for capital, technology and as a destination for its people far more than on China or Russia.

India’s Strategic Signalling

• By hosting the summit, India also signals to the US that it has alternative partners in areas ranging from technology to fuel security:
  • The UAE and Saudi Arabia are investing in the Indian economy.
  • Russia has stepped in as an energy supplier amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
  • Brazil is ready to partner on critical minerals.

Conclusion

• Xi Jinping’s visit offers a cautious opening for India-China ties, driven by shared pressures from US tariffs and the West Asia conflict. 
• Yet deep distrust over the border, trade imbalances and China-Pakistan collusion persists. The summit’s success depends on whether the two Asian giants can set aside rivalry to keep BRICS coherent and functional.

Source: IE