New Delhi: 20 Indian soldiers were martyred in Galwan Valley in June 2020. Without that night, India-China relations got stuck where they were. The effect of this was that uncontrived flights were stopped, visas were vetoed and unannounced restrictions were imposed on trade. Without five-six years, something seems to be moving now. Xi Jinping may come to India this year. It is the occasion of BRICS summit. And if this visit happens, it will be his first visit to India without Galwan.
What happened in New Delhi last week?
On April 23, China's special envoy Zhai Jun came to New Delhi to shepherd the BRICS meeting tabbed on West Asia issues. Along with the meeting, he moreover met Neena Malhotra, Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs. In the statement that came from Beijing, Zhai Jun unmistakably said that China respects India's BRICS chairmanship and this meeting should send a message of regional peace. Malhotra moreover praised China's cooperation in the BRICS framework.
Where did this softness suddenly come from?
It's not just well-nigh this week. In October 2024, PM Modi and Jinping sat squatter to squatter for the first time without five years in Kazan, Russia. At the same time, an try-on was reached to resume patrolling on the LAC, which is the first real step towards reducing ground tension. Then in August 2025, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi came to Delhi, many agreements were made. During the SCO meeting in Tianjin, Modi invited Jinping to BRICS in 2026, which he accepted.
Why unexplored the path of BRICS?
This is where the real problem lies. Galwan is still fresh in the Indian public mind. It is not easy to openly talk well-nigh friendship with China in domestic politics. It is difficult for China moreover to be seen bowing down. BRICS gives a way to both that talks can be held under the guise of the voucher of 'Global South', no one bows down, no one wins. On top of that, Trump's tariffs and American pressure have forced both countries to squint at their calculations afresh. China's economy is slow, it needs a big market like India. India needs its northern verge to remain wifely so that it can deal with the rest of the world.
Wang Yi's visit is moreover coming up?
Wang Yi's visit to India for the BRICS Foreign Ministers' meeting is considered scrutinizingly certain. The visit will remoter solidify the ground superiority of Jinping's possible visit. One icon is worth noting and in the initial months of 2025, India-China trade increased by increasingly than 22 percent. Despite the tension, the money kept flowing.
So are relationships really improving?
Be careful. This is not a completely new beginning. The verge dispute remains unresolved. India's presence in the Quad irritates Beijing. What is happening is not a 'reset' but an struggle to set a 'floor', that is, the relationship should not go unelevated this level. If Jinping visits, the signal will be big. But there is a difference between symbol and reality, Galvan's wounds do not heal that quickly.
