BRICS Summit 2026: PM Modi's 7 Bilaterals, Delhi Declaration & Chair Handover

In an interview with India Today, former Indian Ambassador to China Ashok Kantha analyzed the state of India-China relations following the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the margins of the BRICS summit in New Delhi.

Kantha characterized the diplomatic interaction as an incremental and calibrated process, stating, "we cannot rush into any kind of reset in relations." He emphasized that any continued progress toward normalization remains dependent on maintaining peace and tranquility along the border areas.

Kantha highlighted critical structural issues between both nations, including trade deficits, terms of economic engagement, Chinese support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, and the mega hydropower project at Medog in Tibet.

He noted that summit diplomacy alone cannot serve as a panacea, asserting that India must approach Beijing in a realistic and hard-headed manner while addressing core bilateral disputes through perseverance.