The idea that India and China could have a friendly relationship is almost unthinkable. Generations of Indians have grown up under the shadow of the Indo-China war, and remember the betrayal of Nehru’s Hindi-Chini bhai bhai, a sentiment born out of optimism from two recently independent nations and a history of cordial relations. Over decades the resentment has been stoked by China’s incursions into territory that India claims as its own, where Indian soldiers have lost their lives, and its economic, diplomatic and military support to Pakistan. Additionally, China continues to press territorial claims in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, leading to repeated clashes along the Line of Actual Control. China’s Belt and Road and String of Pearls initiatives, are also seen as instruments to further constrain India’s military and diplomatic prowess. Meanwhile, economically India is already dependent on Chinese imports in areas such as electronics and pharmaceuticals. Deepening this dependence risks making India vulnerable to coercion. Ideologically, India and China occupy very different political spaces: India is a democracy, China an authoritarian one-party state. To therefore suggest India must be friends with a neighbour that undermines its sovereignty appears dangerous.

On the other side is the argument that India and China must be friends because their futures are intertwined and stability in Asia depends on their co-operation. Together they account for nearly 40 percent of the world’s population and are the two largest Asian economies. Friendship is also an economic necessity: Trump’s recent tariffs on Indian goods have disrupted India’s trade with the US, its largest export market. In this new climate of protectionism, India cannot rely solely on Western markets and must deepen ties with China, which offers a massive consumer base and complementary strengths in manufacturing and technology. China needs India too: its shrinking population has made Chinese companies realise that India, whose population overtook China’s this year, is as important a source of growth. Beyond economics, India and China already work together in multilateral forums like BRICS, SCO, and the G20 where their combined voice can demand fairer trade rules, climate justice, and a stronger role for the Global South. History provides further support: centuries of cultural exchange, from Buddhism to the Silk Road, show that mutual respect and partnership has deep roots. From this perspective, India and China must be friends because no alternative path allows for stability, prosperity, and global influence.

In the year marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China this debate asks speakers to argue whether India and China must be friends. The word “must” makes the motion imperative, not optional. It suggests that friendship is either an unavoidable necessity or a dangerous illusion, and speakers are asked to take a clear position on either side.