India–China Ties: Balancing Border Peace and Strategic Cooperation

Context:

At the SCO Summit 2025 in Tianjin, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held bilateral talks, emphasizing peace along the border and exploring avenues for expanded cooperation.
The discussions underscore the continuing relevance of the Panchsheel Doctrine as a guiding principle in India–China relations, despite historical tensions.

Panchsheel (Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence) was articulated in the 1954 Agreement on Trade and Intercourse with Tibet.
Five Principles:
- Mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity
- Mutual non-aggression
- Mutual non-interference in internal affairs
- Equality and mutual benefit
- Peaceful coexistence
Championed by Jawaharlal Nehru and Zhou Enlai; later integrated into:
- Bandung Conference (1955)
- UNGA Resolution (1957)
- Non-Aligned Movement (1961)

Post-Galwan tensions (2020): Relations strained due to LAC disputes; disengagement partially achieved.
Recent engagement: Both sides emphasize “development partners, not rivals.”
Xi Jinping’s four-point plan:
1. Deepen mutual trust
2. Strengthen strategic communication
3. Expand cooperation
4. Safeguard common interests
India’s stance: Border peace is a precondition for stable ties; relations should not be viewed through a third-country (US) lens.

For India:

Provides a moral and diplomatic framework rooted in non-alignment and independent foreign policy.
Reinforces sovereignty and equality in dealings with larger powers like China.
Maintains strategic autonomy, avoiding bloc alignment.
Projects India as a responsible regional power committed to peaceful coexistence.

For China:

Projects a benign global image to counter perceptions of assertiveness.
Frames ties as cooperation and mutual respect, not confrontation.
Provides a diplomatic shield to justify policies under peace and equality.
Softens its rise narrative, presenting China as a partner in regional stability.

Supports multipolarity, balancing against single-superpower domination.
Reflects South–South solidarity, advocating fair global governance.
Offers an alternative to bloc politics, promoting coexistence over rivalry.

Border clashes: Incidents like Doklam (2017) and Galwan (2020) weaken trust.
Trade asymmetry: Bilateral trade favors China, leaving India with a ~$100 billion deficit.
Sovereignty concerns: Projects like BRI and CPEC through PoK, and Chinese naval presence challenge India’s territorial integrity.
Geopolitical balancing: India’s engagement with QUAD and the US perceived as a containment strategy, increasing Chinese suspicion.

Economic collaboration: Technology, renewable energy, and pharmaceuticals.
Multilateral platforms: SCO, BRICS, G20 to counter Western dominance.
Global reforms: Cooperation on WTO reforms, climate action, UNSC restructuring.
Cultural links: Buddhism, pilgrimages, tourism strengthen people-to-people ties.

Reaffirm Panchsheel: Principles to guide border dispute resolution.
Confidence-building: Hotlines, joint patrols, local agreements along LAC.
Issue-based cooperation: Areas like climate change, counter-terrorism, fair trade.
Regional forums engagement: SCO, BRICS, Indo-Pacific dialogues.
Balanced economic strategy: Reduce import dependence on China; explore complementarities.

The Panchsheel doctrine, tested over decades, continues to shape India–China engagement.
The 2025 revival shows that border tensions must not overshadow peaceful coexistence and stability.
India’s task is to balance national interests with Panchsheel’s spirit, drawing lessons from history while maintaining sovereignty, strategic autonomy, and regional responsibility.

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