Modi to Visit China After Border Clash as Trump’s Tariffs Push India Toward Beijing
Five years after a deadly Himalayan border clash froze ties between India and China, the relationship appears to be warming — under the pressure of US President Donald Trump’s sweeping 50% tariffs on Indian imports. For the first time since 2018, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to China this week to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit hosted by President Xi Jinping. The visit comes despite the lingering scars of the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, where Indian and Chinese soldiers fought brutal hand-to-hand combat with rocks and clubs. Now, both leaders are set to meet face-to-face, signaling that economic stability may be taking precedence over old rivalries. The SCO gathering — which will also include leaders from Russia, Pakistan, Iran, and Central Asia — is expected to be the largest in the bloc’s history. Beijing and Moscow […]