From Galwan To Handshake: Can Modi-Xi Finally Reset India-China Ties At BRICS Summit?

Chinese President Xi Jinping is returning to India after seven years for the BRICS Summit, with all eyes on a possible Modi-Xi bilateral. Since the 2020 Galwan clash, India and China have cautiously worked to stabilise ties, with meetings in Kazan and Tianjin followed by renewed border-level dialogue. The agenda could include LAC peace and stability, the boundary question, trade and India’s massive deficit with China, investment, technology, visas and direct flights. But major sticking points remain — the unresolved border dispute, military trust deficit, Arunachal Pradesh, China-Pakistan ties, the Brahmaputra dam project and strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific. Is this a handshake signalling a thaw — or the beginning of a genuine reset?