India and China

Since 1950, India and China, two of Asia's biggest and most powerful nations, have had a long and important relationship, shaped by history, geography, culture, trade and politics.

The Himalayas separate them. Their border runs (east to west) along Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Ladakh. China is about three times India's size.

Buddhism is a strong link between the two. It began in India and reached China around the 1st century CE, along trade and pilgrimage routes.

The exchange went both ways. Chinese monks such as Faxian and Xuanzang came to study at Indian centres of learning, while Indian monks such as Bodhidharma, Dharmakṣhema and Kumārajīva took Buddhist teachings to China.

In the 13th century, Hindu merchants built temples in the Chinese port of Quanzhou. At the Kaiyuan temple there, stone pillars are carved with Viṣhṇu, Śhiva, and stories from the Rāmāyaṇa and the Purāṇas — including Gajendra Mokṣham, the story of Viṣhṇu saving an elephant from a crocodile. Indian stories carved in a Chinese port!

Trade continues today. In 2024–25 India mainly sold China iron ore, chemicals and cotton yarn, and bought electronics (mobile phones, computer parts) and industrial machines.

See the pattern: India sells mostly raw materials, and buys finished goods, which are worth much more. So the balance of trade is heavily in China's favour: China sells India about eight times more than India sells China.

In recent years there have been tense periods, mostly over the shared border, and a few serious clashes. At the same time, both countries are trying to settle disputes through trade, talks and border agreements.