India and China signal a trade thaw amid US tariff threats

India and China might resume border trade for the first time in five years, with officials on both sides portraying the move as a band-aid on their long-fractured relations.

While trade across the icy peaks of the Himalayas has always been modest in volume, the move nonetheless carries symbolic weight. Against a backdrop of a shifting geopolitical world order and US tariff pressure, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected in New Delhi on August 18, according to AFP via AL24 on August 14.

The meeting follows a visit from his indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, to Beijing on August 18, with agreements to restart direct flights and issue tourist visas accompanying the talks.

Beijing’s foreign ministry framed the decision as the product of “consensus on cross-border exchanges and cooperation,” stressing that border trade has historically supported communities in remote frontiers.

India’s junior foreign minister, Kirti Vardhan Singh, confirmed to parliament that discussions with China were underway to facilitate the reopening, though neither side has announced a date.

The push comes as both powers navigate the geopolitical storm caused by Washington’s tariff hikes. India, part of the Quad security alliance with the US, Australia, and Japan, finds itself balancing that partnership against rising friction with Washington.

Tensions rose when US President Donald Trump demanded that New Delhi end its purchases of Russian oil, threatening to double import tariffs on Indian goods to 50 percent by August 27 if it does not comply.

Indian foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said the India–US partnership had “weathered several transitions and challenges” and expressed hope it would “move forward based on mutual respect and shared interests.”

He also confirmed India’s willingness to support efforts to end the Ukraine war, including the upcoming summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

AL24/ AFP/ Maghrebi