India-China: Cautious Management Amidst Enduring Adversity Post-Galwan

• India-China ties remain adversarial and militarized post-Galwan 2020, managed under pressure, not reconciliation, with trust yet to return.
• The Line of Actual Control (LAC) is a continuously managed security problem, with institutional talks addressing friction points but not altering overall force posture.
• Political and diplomatic engagement focuses on stability and risk reduction, not dispute resolution, reflecting China's strategic calculations to avoid accelerating India-US convergence.
• India maintains strategic autonomy, resisting being a proxy against China, and faces a coordinated China-Pakistan challenge, especially post-Operation Sindoor.
• Economic engagement is now separate from security decisions, while growing People’s Liberation Army Navy presence in the Indian Ocean demands enhanced maritime surveillance.

Why It Matters: India-China relations are stable through deterrence and cautious management, not trust or resolution, prioritizing durability.