Modi-Xi Reset: The Handshake Is Back, But Has The Border Standoff Really Changed?

The latest Modi-Xi meeting has brought a warmer tone to India-China relations, but the bigger question is what has actually changed on the ground along the border.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12, agreed that differences should not become disputes and backed a strategic, long-term approach to bilateral ties. Modi also said relations must be guided by mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest, while stressing that peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) remain an essential basis for further progress.

But the meeting did not announce a fresh troop withdrawal, a new disengagement from a disputed area or a settlement of the boundary question. The two sides instead reiterated their commitment to work towards a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution of the border dispute.

Much of the tangible border movement had already happened before the BRICS meeting. The October 2024 understanding led to disengagement at key Ladakh friction points and restored patrolling arrangements in areas including Depsang and Demchok. More recently, the two countries have been working to strengthen military communication, with new commander-level meeting points and hotline channels discussed in August.

What has changed after Modi and Xi met is therefore more visible in diplomacy and engagement than territory or troop positions. The two sides are seeking to expand business links, transport connections, cultural exchanges and people-to-people movement. They have also begun addressing trade imbalances, supply-chain concerns and market access.

That distinction matters. The relationship has moved away from the intense confrontation that followed the 2020 Ladakh crisis, but the boundary remains unresolved and border peace is still being described by India as the foundation for wider ties.

The Modi-Xi meeting may therefore mark another step in managing the relationship, but it has not yet rewritten the reality on the LAC. The real test will be whether diplomatic warmth eventually produces sustained military stability and concrete progress on the unresolved boundary.