Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s top aide said ties with Beijing are on an “upward trend,” another signal that New Delhi may be recalibrating its foreign policy amid mounting tariff pressure from US President Donald Trump.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met China's top diplomat and hailed the “steady progress” made in improving the countries' relationship after a yearslong standoff between the nuclear-armed powers.

India and China are aware of the “very high political, economic and military cost of frozen relations,” he says. “China felt it had pushed India too close to the U.S. while India realized that it was losing its vaunted strategic autonomy by getting too close to Washington and turning Beijing into an adversary.”

Oil refiners in China have stepped up purchases of Russia’s flagship crude, seizing an opportunity to take discounted cargoes relinquished by India as Washington ramps up trade tariffs against New Delhi.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said India must stop buying and selling Russian oil if it wishes to garner favor with the Trump administration, which has upped tariffs on New Delhi to 50 percent.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin bids farewell to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi following their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia July 9, 2024. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday and looked forward to continued exchanges in the days to come.

A call between the leaders of Russia and India affirmed the countries’ close ties despite Washington’s demands for New Delhi to wean itself off Russian oil. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday thanked his “friend,

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said India must stop buying and selling Russian oil if it wishes to garner favor with the Trump administration, which has upped tariffs on New Delhi to 50 percent.