Last Updated:
The Panchsheel principles, which Xi mentioned, are a set of five key ideas for peaceful coexistence, first introduced by India and China in the 1950s

(From left to right) Amb. N. Raghavan, Premier Zhou Enlai, PM Jawaharlal Nehru, Chairman Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi and Song Qingling in Beijing, October 19, 1954.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday referred to the Panchsheel principles during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The talks took place on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Tianjin, China.
This was the first meeting between the two leaders in over three years and marked a possible shift in tone. Both leaders stressed the importance of viewing each other as partners, not rivals, and agreed on the need to build trust through mutual respect and cooperation.
Recommended Stories
The Panchsheel principles, which Xi mentioned, are a set of five key ideas for peaceful coexistence, first introduced by India and China in the 1950s. Originally part of a treaty signed in 1954 between the two nations, the principles focus on mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
Modi-Xi Meet
While Xi highlighted the Panchsheel agreement as a guiding framework for India-China ties, PM Modi underlined the importance of mutual respect, mutual interest, and mutual sensitivity as the basis for stability and long-term cooperation between the two countries.
Prime Minister Modi’s visit to China — his first in seven years — comes as he attends the two-day SCO summit, which brings together leaders from Russia, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. The summit is seen as a show of unity among the Global South, with member nations focusing on regional security, economic cooperation, and multilateral dialogue.
Chinese President’s reference to the historic Nehru-era Panchsheel pact has brought renewed attention to the decades-old framework, which once offered a vision of peaceful relations between newly independent nations
What Is The Panchsheel Principle?
Panchsheel, or the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, is a framework for international relations based on mutual respect and non-interference. It was first formally articulated in the 1954 Agreement on Trade and Intercourse between the Tibet region of China and India, signed on April 29, 1954.
What Are The Five Core Principles?
- Mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty
- Mutual non-aggression
- Mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs
- Equality and mutual benefit
- Peaceful coexistence
Later that year, in June 1954, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai issued a joint statement expanding Panchsheel’s scope, proposing it not just as the basis for India-China ties, but also as a model for global peace and diplomacy.
About the Author
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
- Location :
China
Loading comments…
Read More