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By Robert Birsel
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China has welcomed a Russian proposal for the restoration of a three-member bloc with India, saying cooperation would be in their interests and would contribute to peace and security, raising the prospect of a revitalized alliance that could challenge U.S. influence.
The three largest countries on the Eurasian land mass first floated the idea of a trilateral cooperation bloc in the 1990s, and they later held several ministerial meetings. But the initiative has stalled in recent years because of tensions between China and India over sections of their border.
Why It Matters
A revival of the Russia, India, China, or RIC, bloc could pose a challenge to the U.S. if it resulted in more coordinated action by the three nuclear-armed countries on diplomatic, economic and security issues.
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The proposal for greater three-way cooperation comes as the administration of President Donald Trump is promoting his "America First" agenda, including the imposition of sweeping tariffs, which has raised questions in some countries about their standing with the U.S.
China has criticized U.S. tariff policy as "bullying." U.S. officials have defended the tariffs saying unfair trade arrangements have to be adjusted. India and the U.S. are negotiating a trade deal while the United States has imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
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What To Know
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, responding to a question about Russian negotiations to restore the RIC bloc, said more cooperation between the neighbors would be beneficial for all of them.
"Cooperation among China, Russia, and India not only aligns with the respective interests of the three countries, but also contributes to regional and global peace, security, stability, and progress," the spokesperson, Lin Jian, told a regular briefing in Beijing.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said earlier he was negotiating with both China and India on a revival of the bloc.
"This topic appears in our negotiations with both of them. We are interested in making this format work, because these three countries are important partners…The absence of this format, in my opinion, looks inappropriate," Rudenko told Russia's Izvestia media outlet.
India's foreign ministry spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Russian proposal.
Relations between India and China, the world's two most populous countries, deteriorated sharply in 2020 after a flare-up in tension along disputed stretches of their border in the Himalayas raised fears of war.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met for the first time in several years at a summit of the BRICS grouping last October and agreed to work to resolve conflicts and improve ties.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in China on Monday and called for the efforts towards better ties to be sustained.
What People Are Saying
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said: "We expect that the countries will agree to resume work within the framework of the RIC."
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, speaking to his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Beijing on Monday, said: "The India-China relationship has been gradually moving in a positive direction. Our responsibility has been to maintain that momentum."
What Happens Next
The success of the three-way bloc is likely to hinge on India and China resolving their decades-old disputes over remote, high-altitude stretches of their border.
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