Countering the government’s claim of “steady progress” in the relationship with Beijing, the Congress referred to the June 2020 conflict in Galwan, China’s alleged territorial advances in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, its support for Pakistan, and India’s growing trade deficit with China, saying the evidence pointed to a “calibrated capitulation”.

In a statement issued on Sunday (September 13, 2026), Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh posed four questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in New Delhi.

The statement came a day after Mr. Modi and Mr. Xi met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit and agreed that differences between the two countries “should not become disputes”, while committing themselves to a “fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question”. 

Referring to the June 2020 Galwan clash, in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed, the Congress questioned Mr. Modi’s June 19, 2020 remarks at an all-party meeting, where the Prime Minister had said, “Na hamari seema main ghus aaya hai, na hi koi ghusa hua hai (No one has intruded into our territory). Mr. Ramesh argued that this statement, which was never retracted by the government, weakened India’s subsequent negotiating position with China.

Border issues

The Congress also alleged that India had ceded traditional patrolling and grazing rights in parts of eastern Ladakh and expressed concern over reports of Chinese encroachment in Arunachal Pradesh. It pointed to China’s continued claim over Arunachal Pradesh, the renaming of locations in the State, and the construction of the proposed Medog mega-dam project on the Brahmaputra, which the party said had implications for India’s water security in the Northeast.

The party further questioned what it described as a softening of India’s position on China’s role in supporting Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. Mr. Ramesh referred to remarks made by Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Rahul Singh in July 2025 regarding China’s role in assisting Pakistan, and contrasted them with comments made by former Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan in August 2026. The Congress asked whether the change in tone was linked to efforts to improve the atmosphere ahead of the Modi-Xi meeting.

Trade imbalance

On the economic front, the Congress highlighted India’s trade deficit with China, which it said had reached a record level of $112.6 billion in 2025-26. The party argued that growing dependence on Chinese imports, particularly for critical raw materials and manufacturing components, had hurt domestic industry, especially micro, small and medium enterprises.

“Make in India and import from China have become two sides of the same coin,” the statement said, while demanding a roadmap to address the imbalance.

“Prime Minister, normalisation of India’s relations with China is one thing, but what has been in evidence on your part is calibrated capitulation,” Mr. Ramesh said.