India-China issues, impact of global conflicts and role of middle powers in focus at Huddle 2026

Delegates at the venue during The Hindu Huddle in Bengaluru. File | Photo credit: K. Bhagya Prakash

Geopolitical issues, particularly the unpredictable behavior of global superpowers, will be at the heart of discussions at The Hindu Huddle, as diplomats and thinkers discuss possible solutions to the recent disruptions and conflicts in West Asia and Europe. The theme of the Hindu Huddle to be held in Bengaluru on June 5 and 6 is ‘A World in Transition’.

Keynote speakers will include Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong, who will discuss the evolution of India-China ties and the role both countries can play in the multilateral arena. It will be a special session that will focus on 75 years of bilateral relations and in particular the last few years as both Delhi and Beijing resume normal diplomatic, trade and travel ties after years of freezing and military standoff following the 2020 Galwan incident.

This year, the two sides are expected to engage more as India chairs the BRICS summit in September, and high-level engagements between the two are expected to continue.

Another important panel on global diplomacy will focus on ‘The Middle Power Way’. It will focus on whether international order can be restored by other powers when world leaders break the rules. The debate stems from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos earlier this year, where he pointed out that while major powers can afford to “go it alone” given their market size and military capacity, middle powers cannot. “Middle powers need to act together because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu,” Mr Carney said.

The panel will include some of the most senior diplomats serving in India: Australian High Commissioner Philip Green, European Union Ambassador Herve Delphin and Brazilian Ambassador Kenneth Felix Hascynzki da Nobrega. The author of the book Broken Himalayas, diplomat Nirupama Menon Rao, who is a former Indian foreign minister and former ambassador to the US and China, will join them in the discussion.

Both discussions will be moderated by The Hind Diplomatic Affairs Editor, Suhasini Haidar.

Published – 25 May 2026 21:15 IST