India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China’s President Xi Jinping will seek to patch up their country’s frayed ties at an impromptu informal summit tomorrow, after one of the worst years for bilateral relations in decades.
Last summer, troops from the Asian countries were locked in a tense Himalayan border stand-off that lasted 72 days and raised fears of open conflict. While the crisis was defused peacefully, tension and mutual suspicion have remained high.
China has bristled at India’s criticism of its Belt and Road Initiative — Mr Xi’s signature foreign policy strategy. New Delhi is watching with alarm as Beijing increases its economic influence over India’s neighbours, and steps up its military presence in the Indian Ocean, even as it strengthens strategic ties with China’s rivals, Japan and the US.