인도·남아시아

Modi and Xi make friends” announced the Economist following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting in Kazan. The newspaper subsequently declared that, following an agreement on disengagement and patrolling, the Sino-Indian border stand-off had been “resolved.”These developments are noteworthy, but they must not be over-read. It is significant that, if implemented, the agreement could ease tensions between China and India stemming from their border crisis in 2020. But current and former Indian officials are striking notes of caution, including about getting “lulled into a false sense of security.”Modi and Xi’s meeting—their first in five years—signals a tactical thaw rather than a strategic shift away from Sino-Indian rivalry. Steps remain to resolve the 2020 border row, and the two countries have several serious differences beyond their broader border dispute. So, think of this as akin to Washington’s effort to stabilize or set a floor to the U.S.-China relationship, rather than the beginning of a beautiful friendship between New Delhi and Beijing. For India, China will remain the pacing challenge.