• Atmosphere of “peace and stability” on Himalayan border: Modi.
• Xi Jinping, Modi seek united front against Western pressure.
• Meeting between Asian rivals comes after US tariffs on India.

TIANJIN:  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said New Delhi is committed to improving ties with Beijing in a key meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a regional security forum.

Modi is in China for the first time in seven years to attend a two-day meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders from Central, South and Southeast Asia and the Middle East in a show of Global South solidarity.

“We are committed to progressing our relations based on mutual respect, trust and sensitivities,” Modi told Xi during the meeting on Sunday, according to a video clip posted on the Indian leader’s official X account.

The bilateral meeting took place five days after Washington imposed punishing 50% tariffs on Indian goods due to New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil. Analysts say Xi and Modi are looking to present a united front against Western pressure.

Modi said an atmosphere of “peace and stability” has been created on their disputed Himalayan border, the site of a prolonged military standoff after deadly troop clashes in 2020, which froze most areas of cooperation between the nuclear-armed strategic rivals.

He added that an agreement had been reached between both nations regarding border management, without giving details.

Both leaders had a breakthrough meeting in Russia last year after reaching a border patrol agreement, setting off a tentative thaw in ties that has accelerated in recent weeks as New Delhi seeks to hedge against renewed tariff threats from Washington.

Direct flights between both nations, which have been suspended since 2020, are “being resumed”, Modi added, without providing a timeframe.

China had agreed to lift export curbs on rare earths, fertilisers and tunnel boring machines this month during a key visit to India by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

China opposes Washington’s steep tariffs on India and will “firmly stand with India,” Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong said this month.

For decades, Washington painstakingly cultivated ties with New Delhi in the hope that it would act as a regional counterweight to Beijing.

In recent months, China has allowed Indian pilgrims to visit Buddhist sites in Tibet, and both countries have lifted reciprocal tourist visa restrictions.

“Both India and China are engaged in what is likely to be a lengthy and fraught process of defining a new equilibrium in the relationship,” said Manoj Kewalramani, a Sino-Indian relations expert at the Takshashila Institution think tank in Bengaluru.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that New Delhi is committed to improving ties with Beijing during a key meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a regional security forum.

Modi is visiting China for the first time in seven years to attend a two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting, joined by Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders from Central, South and Southeast Asia, as well as the Middle East, showcasing Global South solidarity.

“We are committed to advancing our relations based on mutual respect, trust, and sensitivities,” Modi told Xi during the meeting on Sunday, according to a video clip shared on his official X account.

The bilateral talks took place five days after Washington imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil.

Analysts suggest Modi and Xi aim to present a united front against Western pressure

Modi also highlighted that an atmosphere of “peace and stability” has been established along their disputed Himalayan border, the site of a deadly 2020 troop clash that had frozen much of their cooperation.

He added that both nations reached an agreement on border management, though he did not provide specific details.

Both leaders had a breakthrough meeting in Russia last year after reaching a border patrol agreement, setting off a tentative thaw in ties that has accelerated in recent weeks as New Delhi seeks to hedge against renewed tariff threats from Washington.

Direct flights between both nations, which have been suspended since 2020, are “being resumed”, Modi added, without providing a timeframe.

China had agreed to lift export curbs on rare earths, fertilisers and tunnel boring machines this month during a key visit to India by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

China opposes Washington’s steep tariffs on India and will “firmly stand with India,” Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong said this month.

For decades, Washington painstakingly cultivated ties with New Delhi in the hope that it would act as a regional counterweight to Beijing.

In recent months, China has allowed Indian pilgrims to visit Buddhist sites in Tibet, and both countries have lifted reciprocal tourist visa restrictions.

“Both India and China are engaged in what is likely to be a lengthy and fraught process of defining a new equilibrium in the relationship,” said Manoj Kewalramani, a Sino-Indian relations expert at the Takshashila Institution think tank in Bengaluru.

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump wants to bring back an old name for the Department of Defence — the “Department of War” with the Trump administration is pressing ahead with plans to do so, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing a White House official. 

The former title was last used more than 70 years ago, but Trump said that it sounds stronger and better reflects his vision of a military that focuses on offence as well as defence. 

The White House is now looking at ways to make the change happen for the government’s largest department, with some Republicans already backing the move, the report said.

Republican Representative Greg Steube of Florida has filed an amendment to the annual defence policy bill to alter the department’s name, signalling some Republican support in Congress for the move.

The White House did not provide details but highlighted Trump’s remarks this week stressing the US military’s offensive power.

“As President Trump said, our military should be focused on offence – not just defence – which is why he has prioritised warfighters at the Pentagon instead of DEI and so-called woke ideology. Stay tuned!” said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly, using DEI to refer to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Trump floated the idea of bringing back the “Department of War” name while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, saying it “just sounded to me better.”

“It used to be called the Department of War and it had a stronger sound,” Trump said. “We want defence, but we want offence too … As Department of War we won everything, we won everything and I think we’re going to have to go back to that.”

The War Department became the Department of Defense gradually, starting with the National Security Act of 1947, which unified the Army, Navy and Air Force under the National Military Establishment.

An amendment in 1949 officially adopted the “Department of Defense” name, creating the structure that exists today.

Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have been pushing to project a more aggressive image of the military while pursuing other changes, including removing senior military leaders seen as being out of step with Trump.

The Trump administration has also attempted to bar transgender individuals from joining the US military and remove those already serving. The Pentagon maintains that transgender people are medically unfit, a claim civil rights advocates reject as discriminatory and unlawful.