COUNTRY RELATIONSHIP · CHINA
India & China
India was the first non-socialist bloc country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, on 1 April 1950. Ties have moved through the 1962 border conflict, a post-1988 normalisation, a 2003 Declaration on Principles for Relations, and a 2005 Strategic and Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Prosperity - but have been adversely affected since the April-May 2020 clashes along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh. Over thirty bilateral dialogue mechanisms exist, though their frequency has been affected by the current state of relations.
COOPERATION AREAS
Where India and China actually work together
4 active areas of cooperation, as of 21 August 2023. Click any card for the full brief.
TRADE & INVESTMENT
By the numbers
The MEA's published bilateral brief (last updated 21 August 2023) does not include a trade-data section - unlike its briefs for several other countries. Figures to be added from a trade-focused source in a future update.
Trade trajectory · USD bn
No trajectory data available for this brief.
TOP TRADED ITEMS
AGREEMENTS & MILESTONES
The relationship since 1950, in 11 dates
CURRENT STATE
Where things stand, August 2023
Relations remain defined by the unresolved standoff along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh since 2020. Border-management mechanisms (WMCC, SCM) continue to meet regularly to manage disengagement, and the two governments maintain contact through more than thirty dialogue channels, but the frequency and warmth of high-level engagement remains well below pre-2020 levels. Multilateral platforms - BRICS, SCO, G20 - remain the primary venues where the two leaderships interact.
SIGNALS TO WATCH
IN CONTEXT
How India and China cross paths multilaterally
QUICK FACTS
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Send a correction →Last updated: 21 August 2023