Two days of informal talks in the symbolic venue of Wuhan last week suggest that China and India could well be ready to set aside, and perhaps even begin to overcome, the mutual distrust that has lingered on both sides since their 1962 war.

At a time when a trade war between the world's largest economies appears imminent, the prospect of convergence in what is Asia's most important bilateral relationship is welcome not just for these two nations but also for South and South-east Asia, which is closely linked to them.