Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in New Delhi on Monday for a two-day visit viewed by many as the first indication of a thaw in relations between two rivals.

As the largest purchaser of Russian oil, China imported a record 109 million tonnes of this product last year, representing nearly 20 percent of its total energy imports, Chinese customs data showed. India, by contrast, imported 88 million tonnes of Russian oil in 2024.

India has recommended a three-year import tariff of 11%-12% on some steel products to curb shipments from top producer China.

Relations plummeted in 2020 after security forces clashed along the border. The violence, the worst in decades, left 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers dead, freezing high-level political engagements.