Six months after a military standoff on their disputed border, the leaders of China and India signed a defense cooperation agreement last Wednesday to limit the risk of further confrontations.

But experts say it will be difficult for Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to make much progress on other key issues, such as the current trade imbalance, and concerns over Pakistan and regional security.

"The old dilemmas that bedevil India with respect to China are still intact," said Ashley J. Tellis, an India expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. "I don't think either side is in a position right now to get to the heart of the matter."