From border agreements to revived flights and fresh economic talks, India and China are moving to mend ties — a rapprochement that could be a game changer for the Middle East, where the two Asian giants have long vied for trade, energy supplies and influence.

After years of turbulence, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s first visit to New Delhi in three years concluded on Aug. 19 with a 10-point framework following talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, national security adviser Ajit Doval and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The agreement focused on resolving long-standing disputes while reviving bilateral cooperation. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Modi may even hold a one-on-one meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit starting Aug. 31, signaling that a genuine thaw may be underway. Having had erratic ties since 2013, this sudden display of warmth suggests a wider geopolitical shift that could have ripple effects far beyond Asia.

Qian Feng, director of research at Tsinghua University’s National Strategy Institute, told the Global Times that the two sides were moving back onto a “healthy trajectory” and that “China-India relations themselves contain an inherent momentum for improvement.”