Introduced and Moderated by
Shuja Nawaz
Director, South Asia Center
Atlantic Council

India and China are neighbors with a long history of cultural, spiritual, and economic ties. The two countries have made small but steady progress in improving relations. During Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to China last month, the two countries worked to reduce tensions along their borders by signing a border cooperation agreement that establishes a formal mechanism to improve security along their 4,056-kilometer Line of Actual Control (LAC), the disputed border between the countries. Progress has also been made on the contentious issue of water resources, where both countries have agreed to share data and discuss relevant topics of mutual interest. Economic ties between the neighbors are also increasing, but there remains a significant trade imbalance of nearly $20 billion in China’s favor. As two of the strongest forces in Asia, the future of their relationship will have substantial ripple effects for the region, the United States, and world.