{"id":2312,"date":"2025-09-03T18:34:49","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T18:34:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=2312"},"modified":"2025-09-03T18:34:49","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T18:34:49","slug":"what-the-modi-xi-meeting-was-really-about-foreign-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=2312","title":{"rendered":"What the Modi-Xi Meeting Was Really About \u2013 Foreign Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div data-nosnippet=\"\">\n<p>Welcome to\u00a0<em>Foreign Policy<\/em>\u2019s South Asia Brief.<\/p>\n<p>The highlights this week: Indian Prime Minister <strong>Narendra Modi<\/strong> visits China for the first time since 2018, search efforts are underway after a <strong>deadly earthquake in eastern Afghanistan<\/strong>, and <strong>Bangladesh<\/strong> sets a timeline for national elections.<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-fallback\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/south-asia-brief\/\">Sign up<\/a>  to receive South Asia Brief in your inbox every Wednesday.            <\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<form data-shortcode-newsletter=\"south_asia_brief\" class=\"newsletter-unit-signup newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode email-capture--step-1 newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-south_asia_brief\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-south_asia_brief newsletter-shortcode-south_asia_brief\">\n<div class=\"show-on-email-capture--signed-up hide-from-newsletter-subscriber newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode--container\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit newsletter-row\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-south_asia_brief\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">Sign up to receive South Asia Brief in your inbox every Wednesday.<\/h2>\n<p>\n                        <button class=\"button\">Sign Up<\/button>\n                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"grid--flex newsletter-south_asia_brief newsletter-signup-container\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"South Asia Brief sign up form\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<div class=\"buttons\">\n<div class=\"hide-from-newsletter-subscriber privacy-policy-container\">\n<div class=\"privacy-policy-acknowledge\">\n<p><small>By submitting your email, you agree to the <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/privacy\/\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/termsofuse\/\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of Use<\/a> and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n    <label for=\"email-south_asia_brief\">Enter your email<\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" class=\"hide-from-reg hide-from-sub\" id=\"email-south_asia_brief\" aria-required=\"true\" required=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>    <button class=\"button button--signup \" data-newsletter-id=\"south_asia_brief\" data-sourceid=\"In-article unit\" type=\"submit\"><br \/>\n      <span class=\"sign-up-text\">Sign Up<\/span><br \/>\n      <span class=\"loading-text\">Loading&#8230;<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>In China, Modi Seeks to Ease Tensions<\/h3>\n<p>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China on Sunday and Monday for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders\u2019 summit, where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two leaders <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/china\/india-china-are-partners-not-rivals-modi-xi-say-2025-08-31\/\">vowed<\/a> to view each other as partners rather than rivals, and Modi <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/ministry-of-external-affairs-statement-on-pm-modi-chinese-president-xi-jinping-meeting-in-tianjin\/article69996067.ece\">said<\/a> that he and Xi \u201creaffirmed our commitment to cooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Modi\u2019s trip, his first to China in seven years; the leaders\u2019 effusive words; and the warm body language between the two is a striking development. Just five years ago, a deadly border clash between India and China in Ladakh plunged relations to their lowest level in decades.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s tempting to conclude, as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/world\/story\/trumps-trade-war-pushing-india-into-chinas-arms-warns-daniel-block-2778471-2025-08-29\">some observers<\/a> have, that deteriorating U.S.-India relations (particularly the 50 percent tariffs recently slapped on India) prompted New Delhi to patch things up with Beijing. In reality, Modi\u2019s visit is the culmination of a nearly year-long effort between the two sides to ease tensions. The state of U.S.-India ties just gives New Delhi a strong reason to accelerate this detente.<\/p>\n<p>Soon after the Ladakh clash, India and China began a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2021\/1\/25\/india-china-army-commanders-talks-on-border-dispute-positive\">recurring military-to-military dialogue<\/a> to ease border tensions. But indications of a thaw began in earnest when border talks <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/china-india-speed-up-border-talks-says-chinese-foreign-ministry-2024-08-01\/\">picked up<\/a> last summer. Around the same time, India\u2019s chief economic advisor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2024-07-22\/india-s-economic-adviser-makes-case-for-chinese-fdi-despite-ban\">spoke<\/a> about the importance of bringing more Chinese investment into India, which had declined after the conflict in Ladakh.<\/p>\n<p>In October 2024, India and China <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/ckg0gwy0nlyo\">concluded<\/a> a border deal that resumed patrols. In January, the two sides <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/china-india-should-commit-mutual-understanding-chinese-foreign-minister-says-2025-01-27\/\">agreed<\/a> to work toward resuming direct flights, and in March\u2014before U.S.-India ties went south\u2014Modi <a href=\"https:\/\/lexfridman.com\/narendra-modi-transcript\/\">declared<\/a> that the border was normalized and called for broader cooperation.<\/p>\n<p>To be sure, the shift in the U.S.-India relationship has created economic and strategic incentives for New Delhi to reduce strain with Beijing. With high U.S. tariffs severely curtailing its access to one of its biggest export markets, India will naturally want to scale up its already-robust commercial relations with China. And amid uncertainty about U.S. willingness to partner with India to counter Chinese power, New Delhi has good reason to hedge.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. President Donald Trump hasn\u2019t articulated a clear policy toward China in his second term. At times, the administration has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2025\/1\/17\/trump-speaks-with-chinas-xi-says-leaders-will-make-world-more-peaceful\">signaled<\/a> a desire to pursue its own detente with Beijing. As a result, the United States may not be terribly bothered by increasing civility between India and China.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, the notion of an India-China reset shouldn\u2019t be overstated: The situation remains tense along much of their disputed border, which is a major source of mistrust. China retains a deep alliance with Pakistan, while India\u2019s relations with its rival and neighbor reached a low point after a conflict in May, during which Pakistan deployed Chinese-made weapons.<\/p>\n<p>India and China also have fundamental disagreements, including the long-standing presence of the Dalai Lama\u2014the spiritual leader of Tibet\u2014in India, India\u2019s growing ties with Taiwan, and Chinese dam-building on shared rivers.<\/p>\n<p>Still, there is a risk that should worry the Trump administration. One thing India and China agree on is multipolarity and the importance of multilateral groupings that seek to counter U.S. power in the global order. If India continues to face the brunt of tariffs, it may work more closely with China and Russia\u2014and fellow members of groupings like the SCO and BRICS, to try to develop new economic mechanisms, like new banks, that circumvent the U.S. dollar.<\/p>\n<p>This is the very fear that prompted Trump to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/07\/10\/business\/brics-tariff-threat-trump\">threaten<\/a> to slap tariffs on BRICS members; even now, two BRICS states\u2014India and Brazil\u2014have received the highest U.S. levies under Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Officials in Washington are unlikely to view Modi\u2019s visit to China with much concern. But it does reflect a thaw in India-China relations that is now poised to accelerate in the wake of Trump\u2019s moves\u2014even if the two remain strategic competitors.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>What We\u2019re Following<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Earthquake in Afghanistan.<\/strong> Search efforts are underway in eastern Afghanistan this week after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/afghanistan\/afghanistan-earthquake-death-toll-climbs-rescuers-reach-survivors-rcna228477\">rocked<\/a> the country late Sunday night local time. The epicenter was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/09\/01\/world\/asia\/earthquake-afghanistan-what-to-know.html\">near the city of Jalalabad<\/a>, not far from the border with Pakistan. By Tuesday, the death toll had passed 1,400 people.<\/p>\n<p>Afghanistan is no stranger to earthquakes, which have collectively <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/asia\/least-250-killed-6-magnitude-earthquake-afghanistan-rcna228346\">claimed<\/a> several thousand lives in the country in just the last few years. The latest tragedy will refocus attention on the capacity constraints of the Taliban regime in responding to humanitarian crises. Donors have drastically reduced aid to Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.<\/p>\n<p>However, when it comes to natural disasters, Afghanistan can count on support from the international community. The U.S. government <a href=\"https:\/\/pk.usembassy.gov\/statement-by-secretary-antony-j-blinken-assistance-for-afghanistan-to-respond-to-june-22-earthquake\/\">provided<\/a> assistance after the 2022 earthquake. United Nations agencies and the International Red Cross are on the ground assisting with rescue efforts, though the Taliban <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/09\/02\/asia\/afghanistan-earthquake-taliban-us-intl-hnk\">say<\/a> that they still need more help.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bangladesh\u2019s election timetable.<\/strong> Bangladesh\u2019s election commission has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sentinelassam.com\/more-news\/international\/bangladesh-ec-unveils-action-plan-for-conducting-polls-before-2026-ramzan\">released<\/a> a formal time frame for the country\u2019s next elections, which are scheduled for the first half of February. This will be a relief to the Bangladeshi public, much of which is eager to see that election plans are on track.<\/p>\n<p>Impatience with the interim government, which marked one year in office last month, is growing amid economic stress and challenges to law and order. However, when I was in Dhaka during the last week, interlocutors noted that a range of key players\u2014from a new political party headed by student leaders of last year\u2019s protest movement to some members of the interim government\u2014may have an interest in elections being delayed.<\/p>\n<p>That said, other important stakeholders, including the military and interim leader Muhammad Yunus, seem committed to seeing elections through. The chance of angry street protests and resulting instability are high if they don\u2019t take place.<\/p>\n<p><strong>India\u2019s economic growth.<\/strong> India <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/business\/Economy\/gdp-growth-in-q1-quickens-to-five-quarter-high-of-78-buoyed-by-cross-sector-strength\/article69988801.ece#:~:text=GDP%20growth%20in%20Q1%20quickens,cross-sector%20strength%20-%20The%20Hindu\">released<\/a> the economic growth data for the first quarter of its fiscal year (April-June), and the figures are impressive. The country\u2019s GDP grew by 7.8 percent during that period, marking the highest rate in more than a year and exceeding the predictions of many observers\u2014including the State Bank of India. Manufacturing sector growth registered at 7.7 percent; the critical industry had seen uneven performance in recent months.<\/p>\n<p>Indian economists <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/business\/what-allowed-india-to-deliver-unexpected-gdp-growth-in-q1-fy26-101756473465955.html#google_vignette\">attribute<\/a> the higher-than-expected growth to front-loaded exports to the United States shipped out before the new tariffs on India went into effect, along with surges in domestic demand, lower inflation rates, ramped-up government spending, and a strong services sector. Many Indians see the latest data as a clapback to Trump\u2019s withering criticism of India, which he has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/videos\/watch-trump-calls-india-dead-economy-whose-economy-is-more-fragile-right-now-business-matters\/article69929317.ece\">called<\/a> a \u201cdead economy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The figures should provide a boost for New Delhi, but the good news could be fleeting. The combination of U.S. tariff effects and entrenched economic challenges could bring growth down later this year. India\u2019s chief economic advisor, V. Anantha Nageswaran, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/editorial\/questionable-cheer-on-gdp-growth-numbers\/article70000359.ece\">said<\/a> that he is keeping his overall growth projections for the year at between 6.3 percent and 6.8 percent.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>FP\u2019s Most Read This Week<\/h3>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Under the Radar<\/h3>\n<p>Last month, India and China <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/business\/india-business\/india-china-ties-both-sides-agree-to-reopen-border-trade-resume-flights-key-details-here\/articleshow\/123393136.cms\">reached an agreement<\/a> to resume border trade along three different routes\u2014apparently as part of their ongoing detente. One of these routes includes the Lipulekh Pass, a disputed strategic space claimed by both India and Nepal.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, the seemingly routine border trade decision has sparked a furor in Kathmandu that has managed to <a href=\"https:\/\/kathmandupost.com\/politics\/2025\/08\/22\/nepal-leaders-unite-to-denounce-india-china-deal-on-lipulekh\">unite<\/a> leaders across the political spectrum in Nepal\u2014a rare development given the country\u2019s famously fractious politics.<\/p>\n<p>This episode highlights the geopolitical challenge that Nepal faces as a small country sandwiched between two Asian giants. It aims to balance ties with both India and China\u2014two critical partners\u2014but it also has its share of grievances against them. How it conveys these concerns while taking care not to antagonize them requires deft and delicate diplomacy.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/09\/03\/modi-xi-meeting-india-china-tensions-border-trump\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to\u00a0Foreign Policy\u2019s South Asia Brief. The highlights this week: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits China for the first time since 2018, search efforts are underway after a deadly earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, and Bangladesh sets a timeline for national elections. Sign up to receive South Asia Brief in your inbox every Wednesday. Sign [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2313,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2312","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politcical-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2312\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}