Recent diplomatic developments suggest a warming of relations between China and India, marked by three meetings between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the past three years. Practical steps toward normalization have been taken, such as the resumption of Air China flights to New Delhi and the return of Indian pilgrims to the sacred Mount Kailash. These moves signal a desire to move past the deep freeze that characterized the bilateral relationship following the 2020 border clashes.

However, the military dimension of the relationship remains largely unchanged. Analysts note that while diplomatic channels have reopened, the two militaries continue to operate with a lack of consistent communication. This stands in contrast to the current state of U.S.-China military relations, where the Pentagon has established more frequent and reliable contact with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) than India has managed to achieve. The core issue remains a lack of institutionalized trust between the two armed forces, which currently appear to interact primarily during periods of crisis rather than through routine, de-escalatory dialogue. While the political leadership has signaled a willingness to engage, the operational reality on the ground remains defined by the lingering effects of the 2020 standoff.