India has successfully tested its indigenously developed Agni-5 ballistic missile, capable of carrying nuclear warheads more than 5,000 kilometers, putting rivals China and Pakistan within range. The launch from Odisha, the Defense Ministry said, “validated all operational and technical parameters.”

The timing is significant: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due in China next week for a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, his first visit in years. The test comes amid a complex backdrop, strained ties since deadly border clashes in 2020, but recent steps toward a thaw, including reopening flights, visas, and Tibet pilgrimage routes.

China’s military buildup looms large. A SIPRI report in June estimated Beijing holds around 600 nuclear warheads, compared to India’s 180. For New Delhi, the Agni-5 is part of catching up while also deterring Pakistan, with whom it fought its deadliest conflict in decades earlier this year.

Analysts say U.S. trade tariffs under Donald Trump are inadvertently pushing India and China closer, even as Washington courts India as a counterweight to Beijing. With Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also set to attend the SCO summit, the stage is set for high-stakes diplomacy between three nuclear-armed neighbors.