India and China must work together to stabilise world economy, says PM Modi amid tariff tensions with US

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said it is “important for India and China, as two major economies, to work together to bring stability to the world economic order”, highlighting “the current volatility in the world economy” as US President Donald Trump continues to threaten global tariffs.

In a written interview to Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun, Modi made the remarks ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, beginning Sunday in Tianjin near Beijing.

He stressed that “stable, predictable, and amicable” ties between the two neighbours could have a “positive impact” on regional and global peace and prosperity.

India and China are seeking to repair relations after a five-year military standoff along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. The Modi–Xi meeting – the Prime Minister will also meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on the SCO sidelines – comes amid strains in India’s ties with Washington over tariffs, Russian oil purchases and stalled trade negotiations.

Asked about the importance of improving relations with China, Modi said: “India is ready to advance bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity, and to enhance strategic communication to address our developmental challenges.”

He added that a stable relationship between India and China “is also crucial for a multi-polar Asia and a multi-polar world”.

Modi and Xi last met in October 2024 on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia. Earlier this month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited New Delhi and handed Modi an invitation from Xi. The Prime Minister last travelled to China for the SCO summit in Qingdao in June 2018.