India and China have begun negotiations to restart border trade that has been suspended for more than five years, according to people familiar with the discussions. The trade links were frozen after a deadly clash between soldiers along the Himalayan frontier in 2020, an incident that sent bilateral relations to their lowest point in decades. Resuming the flow of locally produced goods across the border would mark the latest step in a cautious détente between Asia’s two largest nations. Both governments have gradually reopened military and diplomatic channels, and officials view a revival of commerce as a practical way to ease lingering tensions while supporting economic growth in their under-served frontier regions. The talks also underscore Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s broader push to deepen engagement with the BRICS grouping — which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — after the United States doubled tariffs on Indian exports to 50% earlier this month. Closer economic coordination with Beijing could help New Delhi diversify markets and blunt the impact of Washington’s trade measures, analysts say.