India, May 10 -- Three days from today, US President Donald Trump will land in Beijing for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In the run-up to the summit, the US Treasury sanctioned five Chinese "teapot" refineries for processing Iranian oil, including the Hengli Petrochemical complex in Dalian. On May 2, Beijing invoked an anti-sanctions law ordering Chinese companies and banks to disregard the American measures which some called "unprecedented defiance". Will the friction lead to accommodation or more confrontation?

Two of India's most consequential external relationships will be present at the table in Beijing, and whatever they decide will have implications for New Delhi. China - India's national security challenge, ...