ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the China–India relationship through a BRICS+ lens, arguing it is a “contested partnership” that fuses strategic competition with pragmatic, interest-based cooperation. It traces how BRICS+ has provided political space to manage bilateral tensions while coordinating on reform of global governance, South–South agendas, and development finance via the New Development Bank. The analysis highlights convergences (multipolarity, Global South voice, selective institutional reform) alongside persistent divergences (trade asymmetries, market access, regional security, competing influence in Asia and beyond). It assesses recent BRICS expansion, currency and payments discussions, and overlaps with groupings such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), showing how shared principles and consensus practices have underpinned durability despite shocks. The chapter concludes that BRICS+ functions as a pragmatic venue where China and India can hedge rivalry, coordinate where interests align, and shape emerging standards, making their cooperation central to the grouping's relevance in a shifting world order.
