Russia, India, China dialogue signals potential revival

Key facts

• Russia, India, and China are showing signals of potentially reviving their trilateral dialogue format.
• Moscow has been pushing for the return of the RIC format.
• India and China have expressed openness to communication and cooperation.
• The last formal RIC foreign minister meeting was in 2021, and leaders have not met since 2019.
• Despite geopolitical challenges, the RIC triangle is seen as carrying political symbolism.

The Russia-India-China (RIC) dialogue is re-emerging in diplomatic discussions, with Moscow actively pushing for its revival. While no summit is immediately planned, India has responded with cautious openness, and China has indicated a willingness to maintain communication on trilateral cooperation. This renewed attention comes despite ongoing border disputes between China and India, and Russia's strained relationship with the West. The RIC format, last convening foreign ministers virtually in 2021 and leaders at the G20 summit in 2019, still holds political symbolism. Although current geopolitical alignments, including US-centered security architectures like the Quad and AUKUS, might suggest an unlikely moment for revival, the complex multilateral landscape in Asia means the RIC triangle warrants further consideration.