India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in China on Sunday with the sting of Donald Trump's US tariffs still top of mind.
Since Wednesday, tariffs on Indian goods bound for the US, like diamonds and prawns, now stand at 50% – which the US president says is punishment for Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil.
Experts say the levies threaten to leave lasting bruises on India's vibrant export sector, and its ambitious growth targets.
China's Xi Jinping, too, is trying to revive a sluggish Chinese economy at a time when sky-high US tariffs threaten to derail his plans.
Against this backdrop, the leaders of the world's two most populous countries may both be looking for a reset in their relationship, which has previously been marked by mistrust, a large part of it driven by border disputes.
Put simply, what happens in this relationship matters to the rest of the world, Chietigj Bajpaee and Yu Jie of Chatham House wrote in a recent editorial.
India was never going to be the bulwark against China that the West (and the United States in particular) thought it was... Modi's China visit marks a potential turning point.
What would a stronger relationship mean?
India and China are economic powerhouses – the world's fifth and second largest, respectively.
With India's growth expected to remain above 6%, a $4tn economy, and a $5tn stock market, it is on track to move up to third place by 2028, according to the IMF.
While the world has traditionally focused on the US and China being the most crucial bilateral relationship, it's time to shift focus on how China and India can work together.
However, the relationship is deeply challenging due to an unresolved territorial dispute, signifying broad rivalry, with violence erupting across Ladakh's Galwan Valley in 2020.
Dialogue will be needed to help manage the expectations of other powers regarding India-China relations, especially amid troubled dynamics in South Asia.
India's position has changed
The relationship between Delhi and Beijing is an 'uncomfortable alliance' due to India's perplexity with the US.
Modi's travel reflects a necessary pivot towards multilateral relationships that fit India's and China's shared narrative.
Modi is attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation - a regional body projecting an alternative worldview to that of the West.
However, the downturn in Delhi's relations with Washington could lead India to rediscover the utility of the SCO, with China valuing solidarity amid Trump's tariff chaos.
How can China and India co-operate economically?
India's reliance on China's manufacturing may push it to seek lower import duties on goods.
To maximize manufacturing potential, India must maneuver through strict industrial policies that have hindered it from benefiting from the supply chain shift.
Both nations are looking for ways to build partnerships, signaling that while a single meeting won't change their complex ties, Modi's visit could mend some animosity and highlight India's alternatives to the US.
