China has voiced strong support for reviving trilateral cooperation with Russia and India under the long-dormant RIC (Russia-India-China) format, signaling renewed momentum for a geopolitical alliance that could counterbalance U.S. influence.
“Cooperation among China, Russia, and India not only aligns with the respective interests of the three countries, but also contributes to regional and global peace, security, stability, and progress,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said during a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday.
He emphasized that Beijing is “willing to maintain communication with Russia and India to advance trilateral cooperation.”
Lin’s remarks followed a statement by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, who confirmed Moscow is actively engaging both Beijing and New Delhi to revive the RIC mechanism.
“We are interested in bringing this format back to life because these three countries are not only important partners but also founding members of BRICS,” Rudenko said. “The absence of this format seems inappropriate under current global conditions.”
Initially proposed by former Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov in the 1990s, the RIC format was created to challenge the U.S.-led unipolar world order. Though partially absorbed by broader groupings like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), RIC meetings continued sporadically until tensions between India and China, particularly along their disputed Himalayan border, caused the initiative to stall.
India, while cautious, has confirmed ongoing talks with both Russia and China.
“As to when this particular RIC format meeting is going to be held, it is something that will be worked out among the three countries in a mutually convenient manner,” said Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal.
Recent diplomatic efforts indicate thawing relations between India and China. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted last month that “an understanding is being reached between India and China on how to calm the border situation,” calling it an opportunity to revive RIC dialogue.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar also echoed this sentiment during a meeting with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing.
“The India-China relationship has been gradually moving in a positive direction. Our responsibility has been to maintain that momentum,” Jaishankar said.
As geopolitical fault lines deepen globally, a revitalized RIC bloc could emerge as a powerful voice for multipolarity, especially if the three nuclear-armed powers align their positions on key diplomatic and economic issues.
