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The ministry’s response came after a report surfaced that Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a letter to his Indian counterpart Droupadi Murmu to test the waters on improving ties.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian President Droupadi Murmu (File/PTI)
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday categorically denied the report that claimed that Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a “secret letter” to President Droupadi Murmu in March this year, which reportedly prompted a reset to the India-China ties.
While addressing the press conference, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “The report claiming a letter was sent to President Droupadi Murmu by her Chinese counterpart is incorrect.”
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The ministry’s response came after a report surfaced that Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a letter to his Indian counterpart Droupadi Murmu to test the waters on improving ties.
A Bloomberg report, which quoted an Indian official familiar with the matter, claimed that the letter expressed concern about any US deals that would harm China’s interests and named a provincial official who would steer Beijing’s efforts.
China’s message to President Droupadi Murmu was later sent across to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It wasn’t until June that the Narendra Modi’s government began making a serious effort to improve relations with China, the person told the news outlet, asking not to be identified in order to discuss internal matters. At the time, trade talks with the US were turning contentious and officials in New Delhi were bristling over Trump’s claims of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following four days of fighting in May.
According to the report, shortly after Xi’s letter to President Murmu, Beijing published a statement from the Chinese leader celebrating the relationship, describing it as a “dragon-elephant tango.”
Soon, his top officials, including Vice President Han Zheng, were using the same phrase to describe warmer ties between the countries, it stated.
Soon after Trump announced tariffs on both nations, India and China took a major step last week to move beyond the 2020 Galwan border clash, and agreed to redouble efforts to settle their border disputes.
About the Author
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben…Read More
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben… Read More
September 05, 2025, 16:49 IST
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