Leaning China's way or America’s isn't the idea: Indian autonomy is

India’ foreign policy must not be guided by the theatre of summitry but by the substance of well-defined strategic interests

- SHASHI THAROOR

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Tianjin for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit was his first trip to China in seven years.

His presence alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin projected an image of multipolar solidarity seemingly crafted to unsettle US President Donald Trump's administration. But behind the optics lies a more complex strategic reality, which India must navigate with caution and clarity.

Modi’s visit to China had the trappings of a diplomatic reset. In a cordial hour-long meeting, Modi and Xi agreed to resume direct flights between their countries and reopen the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, an important Hindu pilgrimage route to the fabled abode of Lord Shiva in Tibet. Hands were shaken, photos were taken and a new phase of peaceful cooperation between the two Asian powers seemed to be beginning.

But there is considerable reason for scepticism. Since the 1950s, India has repeatedly sought rapprochement with China, only to be met with disappointment, even betrayal. The 1962 war, which began when Chinese forces launched coordinated attacks along the countries’ Himalayan border, shattered early hopes of good relations.

In the late 1980s, an outreach by India’s then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi ushered in a period of relative calm. But, over the last decade, the bilateral relationship has been marked by rising tensions, with border incidents in Depsang in 2013, Chumar in 2014 and Doklam in 2017, as well as deadly clashes in Galwan in 2020.