India-China relations move in waves of hostility and stability. The bilateral may be re-entering a period of stability, last seen in 2018. If the caveats of security, mutual sensitivity and a level playing field are respected, then much can be achieved by reviving the initiatives begun after PM Modi’s visit to China in 2015 and two informal summits in Wuhan in 2018, and Mahabalipuram in 2019.

There’s growing speculation about a power struggle in China and whether President Xi Jinping is losing control. Amid reported internal rifts within the Communist Party of China, Xi has launched a military purge, removing several top officials, while Chinese companies face mounting internal issues. Lt Gen S. L. Narasimhan, Adjunct Distinguished at Gateway House, analyses these rumours and reveals China’s internal dynamics.

The world is undergoing a profound transformation - not driven by the U.S., China, or Russia, but by small and medium states carving out their rightful space in the emerging order. With UN reform stalled, middle-power cooperation must organise effectively to push for a responsive multilateral system that works for all, ensuring institutions are reformed and made fit for today’s world.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to India comes after three years, and the outcomes from it throw up interesting issues. Three read-outs issued from this visit. One from the Chinese side and two from the Indian side. The diverse nature of the India and Chinese read-outs is striking. Certainly the visit yielded benefits; the test lies in the deliverables.

Today’s Lhasa is far from being a forbidden land where oracles are more common than human beings. It is a modern Chinese city, with swish hotels, art galleries and businesses. The transformation – and Sinicisation - of Tibet has accelerated under Chinese President Xi Jinping. The selection of the next Dalai Lama will cement the Chinese hold over that land

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's two-day visit to India achieved a significant goal: to resolve the bilateral border dispute and ensure Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. It’s not a reaction to the U.S.-India tariff tensions, but a realistic policy compulsion felt by India.

The embargo on rare-earth magnets by China reflects a gap in India’s critical mineral supply chain. India should reduce the need for these minerals by promoting green hydrogen.

In the current era of geopolitical uncertainty, the Middle Power states are deepening engagement with countries of the Global South while reducing their exposure to the U.S. and China. Manjeet Kripalani and Carlos Coelho spoke to Eric and Cobus from The China-Global South Podcast, on how countries like India and Brazil are navigating this increasingly contested world.

The rules-based world, perceived to be functional till last year, seems broken, giving way to an increasingly multipolar order. Manjeet Kripalani, Executive Director, Gateway House discusses in the Abhijit Chavda podcast, how emerging middle powers like India, Brazil, and Indonesia to name a few, have the heft to rewrite the rules of global trade and reform, away from U.S. and China.

The traditional label of ‘middle power’ fails to capture India’s growing status. The country’s ability to shape the international discourse is no longer in question. India sees itself as a key player the global order.