After reading about their four, ahem, five demands for 'normalization', at this point even just gestures of goodwill are doing more harm than good. This is just setting the bar for how they expect their prisoners to be treated as next time, even as they continue to slit the throats of our own.
I think it boils down to different mindsets. The Chinese and other East Asians follow a Confucian style mindset and value the concept of Gianni, or relationship. If you are my neighbor and I lend you a hotpot for your family gathering, I expect that you invite me over to your Son’s wedding next week. Acts of kindness are reciprocal.
The Indian philosophy seems to be based on that of karma. If you are my neighbor and you lent me some Masala, you probably did so because you owed it to me in your past life.
This is why attempts by China to save face for India is ultimately unproductive and unappreciated. Any acts of kindness will be construed as weakness by the other side. They might even get angry because now they might owe you a favor they don’t want to repay in the next life.