Auteur de la note

Anna_aiko_birrer

Anna Aiko Birrer is pursuing a Dual Degree with Sciences Po Paris and Peking University in International Affairs, focusing on International Security. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sinology and East Asian Art History from the University of Zurich and enhanced her proficiency in Chinese during an exchange program at the Minzu University of China. Aiming for a more in-depth understanding of Asia-Europe relations, she subsequently earned a Bachelor’s in International Affairs from the University of St. Gallen (HSG). Committed to fostering transcultural dialogue, she is a Generation Asia 2024 Fellow with Asia Society Switzerland.

Geyer_Pauline

Pauline Geyer is currently pursuing a dual master’s degree in International Security at Sciences Po Paris and International Relations at Peking University China. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Social Sciences from the University of Erfurt in Germany. Her interest in Asian politics was shaped by a gap year in Malaysia, studies at National Chengchi University in Taiwan, as well as internship and research roles at the Taiwan Center for Security Studies and Asia Centre. She is part of the Asia Sparks Research Coaching Program, working to broaden her understanding of Asia and refine her research expertise.

Autres analyses

Asia Sparks | Dancing in Lockstep: A new Chapter of Sino-Indian Relations ?

Dancing in Lockstep: Pauline Geyer and Anna Aiko Birrer published a paper analysing Sino-indian relations.
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Dancing in Lockstep: Pauline Geyer, sparker at Asia Centre, and Anna Aiko Birrer, both pursuing a Dual Degree with Sciences Po Paris and Peking University in International Affairs, focusing on International Security, published a paper analysing Sino-Indian relations.

Read their analysis by clicking the PDF button

2025 marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Asia’s two largest nuclear powers: India and China. After a four-year freeze in relations, triggered by the deadly 2020 border clash, bilateral ties are gradually warming. In May 2024, the appointment of Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong signalled a shift toward reconciliation. By October 2024, the two nations reached a border patrol agreement, and Prime Minister Modi and President Xi met at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, their first meeting in five years. In 2025 the two sides continued their efforts. In August Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, met with External Affairs Minister of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in New Delhi, the second meeting of this kind between the two sides since 2020[1]. Adding to that, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Meeting (SCO) in Tianjin from 31 August to 1 September 2025, for which Modi for the first time after his 2018 visit visited China, indicates gradual progress in Sino-Indian ties.[2]

Yet, despite these developments, the stability and trajectory of Sino-Indian[3] relations seem to remain ambiguous. Following, this essay explores whether recent diplomatic gestures reflect a deeper alignment or merely a surface-level conciliation.

Put differently, this research asks: “Do the Dragon and the Elephant truly dance in lockstep towards a shared future?”

While the appearance of rapprochement suggests a warming of ties, our analysis argues that while China is actively promoting a narrative of closer cooperation and mutual benefit, India projects a more cautious and strategically independent posture. In this diplomatic pas de deux, the Elephant[4] and the Dragon[5] may be indeed dancing, but not in step.

While the 2020 border standoff reignited global attention on territorial disputes, such a focus risks oversimplifying what is, in fact, a much deeper geopolitical rivalry between two self-described “civilization-states” competing for influence within a shifting global order.[6] In this context, social media platforms, especially X, have become a key arena for modern diplomacy. As Frey (2024) notes, digital platforms are increasingly central to diplomatic engagement. As they enable ambassadors and institutions to connect with foreign publics and shape global narratives.[7] Adding to that, China’s recent emergence as a global soft power leader, ranking among the top two worldwide[8], underscores the significance of studying these narratives. Understanding the specific wording, tone, and topics in official communications helps to decode the bilateral ties both states want to pursue and offers a lens through which to forecast future developments.

Following, the research question will be addressed with a discourse analysis of digital diplomacy, focusing on government narratives as expressed via X. Specifically, it examines posts and reposts by the Indian Embassy in China (@EOIBeijing) and the Chinese Embassy in India, particularly through the official statements of Ambassador Xu Feihong (@China_Amb_Ind).

The research paper proceeds by outlining the methodology used to analyse the selected posts, followed by a review of recent research on Sino-Indian relations in the aftermath of the 2020 clash. A brief historical overview of bilateral ties will then provide essential context for interpreting the present-day narratives. The core of this research focuses on analysing the most prominent and recurring topics within the posts, identifying converging and diverging narratives. This will allow to assess whether India and China are dancing at the same speed or moving closer in lockstep.

  • [1] Farooquee, Sebastian, China and India should be partners, not adversaries, says foreign minister Wang Yi.
  • [2] Samaan, The bigger story behind Modi’s China trip – and it’s not India’s tensions with Trump.
  • [3] The term Sino-Indian will be used, without a signal of preferences towards a country.
  • [4] In Indian culture, the Elephant holds profound symbolic significance, embodying qualities such as strength, wisdom, and prosperity. This reverence is deeply embedded in religious and philosophical traditions, notably within Hinduism and Buddhism. (Natura, 2023).
  • [5] The Dragon reflects a deep-rooted cultural symbol closely tied to national Chinese identity. With a continuous history spanning over 5,000 years, China is among the world’s oldest enduring civilizations, with the symbol for the Dragon being one of the first ones in Chinese literacy. In this context, the Dragon serves not only as a powerful emblem of China’s historical legacy, but also as a metaphor for its resurgence and growing power. (LanguageWire, 2025).
  • [6] Bajpaee, Jie, How China-India relations will shape Asia, p.2.
  • [7] Frey, Digital Diplomacy.
  • [8] BrandFinance, Global Soft Power Index 2025.

 

Read their analysis by clicking the PDF button

Dancing in Lockstep:

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