India and China look to improve ties, but Delhi’s cautious approach must continue in 2026

China-India relations in 2025 remain anchored to the rupture of April-May 2020 following the Galwan clash. That episode altered the political and military foundations of the relationship and ended a period in which peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) was sustained through informal restraint and political signalling. Five years later, the relationship has avoided escalation but remains fundamentally adversarial and militarised. Trust has not returned. Stability, where it exists, is the product of deterrence, sustained deployment, and disciplined engagement. What has emerged is not reconciliation, but management under pressure. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Border as a…