China and India Are Trapped in a Loop

Breaking out of their cycle of hope and distrust requires political imagination on both sides.

Indian students wear masks of Xi Jinping ahead of a China-India summit November 18, 2025, 4:52 AM Comment icon View Comments ( )

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China in August, followed by New Delhi’s decision to resume issuing visas to Chinese citizens and the gradual restoration of direct flights between the two countries, has set in motion yet another loop in India-China relations. This recurring pattern—alternating between optimism and confrontation—has replayed itself for decades. The latest loop may well follow the same trajectory, ending once again in border skirmishes or diplomatic friction. Unless both sides develop a cre

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