Since Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi came to office, he has received a flurry of international guests, including Chinese President Xi Jinping. This visit demonstrates Beijing’s revived interest in engaging with India. Carnegie–Tsinghua’s Paul Haenle and the China Reform Forum’s Ma Jiali analyzed the impact of a rising India in the Asia-Pacific region and explained the significance of President Xi’s trip to India for the broader bilateral relationship.

Although activity along the Sino-Indian border threatened to overshadow the success of the visit, Ma asserted that territorial disputes are not insurmountable. He expressed optimism about the bilateral relationship’s future trajectory. Ma also acknowledged that both the Indian army and PLA have their own thinking about the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between the two countries, and that leaders should demarcate the LAC through negotiation and communication mechanisms. 

Ma Jiali

Ma Jiali is a South Asia expert and executive deputy director for the Center for Strategic Studies at the China Reform Forum. He also serves as a research fellow at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations and an adviser at the China Institute of South Asia.

Paul Haenle

Paul Haenle is the director of the Carnegie–Tsinghua Center for Global Policy. Prior to joining Carnegie, he served from June 2007 to June 2009 as the director for China, Taiwan, and Mongolian Affairs on the National Security Council staffs of former president George W. Bush and President Barack Obama.