New Delhi’s frayed ties with Washington have added to a thaw in the frosty relationship with Beijing that began last year.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met China’s top diplomat on Tuesday and hailed the “steady progress” made in improving the bilateral relationship after a yearslong standoff between the nuclear-armed Asian powers.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Russian leader Vladimir Putin as a “friend” while his government moved to bolster relations with China, another sign the South Asian nation is tilting away from the US in the face of Donald Trump’s tariff threats.

China has removed export restrictions on rare earth magnets bound for India, Indian media reported on Tuesday, in a calculated move timed with a diplomatic visit to New Delhi by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

India and China agreed on Tuesday to resume direct flights and step up trade and investment flows as the neighbours rebuild ties damaged by a 2020 border clash.

China — often characterized by White House officials as the arch-rival of the U.S. in trade — has been among the countries most negatively affected by Trump’s mercurial barrage of tariffs. India is currently suffering severe penalties imposed by the Trump administration due to its continued purchasing of oil from Russia.

China has agreed to maintain momentum of bilateral ties with India and emphasize that both countries act as major powers and contribute to promoting world multipolarization and democratization of international relations.

PM

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi made a veiled reference to the U.S. in New Delhi on Monday, by noting that India and Beijing should find ways to coexist against a backdrop of “unilateral bullying.” C

In a move to bolster bilateral relations, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held a high-level meeting with India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi on Saturday.