Xi's India Visit Signals China's Push for Stable Ties, Says Former Adviser
A former Chinese government adviser says China needs a stable relationship with India, as Xi Jinping visits for the first time in seven years.
Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India — his first in seven years — has put the spotlight on a relationship strained by a long-running border dispute and a widening trade imbalance. The visit coincides with the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, where Xi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines.
Robert Lawrence Kuhn, a former adviser to the Chinese government, said Beijing has a clear interest in keeping ties with New Delhi on an even keel. He described the India-China relationship as possibly the second most important bilateral relationship in the world, after the one between China and the United States, and said it could take the top spot in the second half of this century.
Kuhn said China, and Xi in particular, needs and wants stability with India so that New Delhi does not join what he called a so-called anti-China alliance, naming the Quad and India's relationship with Japan as examples.
He linked that need to China's domestic priorities. Xi's focus on raising living standards, including through the anti-poverty campaign and the "Common Prosperity" programme, along with his call for the "Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation", requires a stable external environment, Kuhn said. Stability with India is critical to that, he added.
Kuhn also pointed to the personal equation between the two leaders. Xi noted during the bilateral meeting that the two had met 21 times and reached several important agreements that have helped guide relations. According to Kuhn, both are powerful leaders with long-term visions and set targets for where they want their countries to be.
The border remains among the biggest challenges, particularly after the 2020 military standoff in eastern Ladakh. Kuhn said protecting territorial integrity is central to Xi's vision, with Taiwan and the South China Sea the foremost concerns for Beijing and the India border lower on that list.
Trade is another pressure point. Kuhn said bilateral trade stands at around $130 billion, of which about $110 billion is India's imports from China, while India's exports to China are under $20 billion. He said the current pattern is not sustainable over the long term.