Xi's 'secret' letter spurred Delhi-Beijing thaw during Trump's tariff war: Report

A 'secret' letter sent by Chinese President Xi Jinping to New Delhi in March, around the time US President Donald Trump signalled his intent to launch a global trade war, has quietly prompted a reset in India-China ties, Bloomberg reported.

In his letter to President Murmu, later passed on to PM Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping sought to "test the waters on improving ties," an Indian official told Bloomberg.

Indian officials cited in the Bloomberg report said Xi reached out directly to Indian President Droupadi Murmu in March, during heightened US trade tensions with China.

The message, described as cautious and deliberate, arrived as Washington increased trade pressure on both China and India. By June, New Delhi had resumed engagement with Beijing after a prolonged hiatus.

The Bloomberg report further explains how backchannel communication between the two sides led to an agreement on broader issues.

Last week, both countries agreed to revive efforts to resolve pending border issues arising from the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, which resulted in casualties on both sides.

The development points to a potentially significant shift in Asia’s strategic balance, just days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China.

India’s tilt towards China comes at a critical time, as Washington has been relying on New Delhi to counter Beijing’s dominance in the Indo-Pacific.

Carnegie Endowment's Ashley Tellis was quoted in the report saying, "Trump is indeed the great peacemaker – he deserves all the credit," calling the shift an unintended outcome of adversarial US policy.

Despite these developments, deep mistrust remains, stemming from China's alliance with Pakistan and India's growing closeness with Taiwan. Eurasia Group's Jeremy Chan warned, "This is a recovery, not a breakthrough."

- Ends

Tune In