Tension between India and China may be thawing, but the two countries still remain bitter rivals, writes Shyam Saran.

Tensions between the two nuclear powers and major economic players could have critical implications for security and developments in the Global South.

India and China share a complicated relationship. The world’s two most populous nations are outright regional rivals who fought a border war in the 1960s. Relations have been at a low point since border clashes in 2020 left soldiers dead on both sides.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have pledged to resolve their border differences and bolster cooperation ahead of the opening of a regional summit in Tianjin.

India still aspires to become one of the world’s three largest economies. It is currently fifth and on pace to overtake Japan soon. If the United States won’t help or, worse, gets in its way, India has no choice but to get closer to Beijing, even as it holds to its goal of becoming a stronger manufacturing rival to its giant neighbor.

The United States on Friday placed 32 companies and organisations — including firms in India, Iran, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates — on its trade blacklist, according to a

India’s clean energy appetite is helping the country’s solar power industry wean itself off imported Chinese parts and continue growing even as it faces a tougher sell to its biggest foreign customer,

New Delhi has also reportedly reactivated airside infrastructure such as Advance Landing Grounds — that have been inactive since 1962 — for helicopter and military aircraft use in this area.