At Tianjin talks PM Modi tells President Xi: Welfare of 2.8 bn people is linked to India-China ties

India is committed to taking forward its ties with China based on mutual trust, respect and sensitivity as cooperation between the two countries is linked to the welfare of 2.8 billion people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday.

In his televised opening remarks at the meeting, Modi also noted that the disengagement of troops by the two sides on the border created an atmosphere of peace and stability.

The talks between the two leaders on the margins of the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in this northern Chinese city came against the backdrop of turbulence triggered by the Trump administration’s tariff tussle.

“Our cooperation is linked to the interests of 2.8 billion people of our two countries. This will also pave the way for the welfare of all humanity,” Modi said.

“We are committed to advancing our relations based on mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity,” he said.

It is learnt that the overall focus of the Modi-Xi talks was to carry forward the process to normalise the bilateral ties that came under severe strain following the eastern Ladakh border standoff.

Modi landed here last evening from Japan in the second leg of his two-nation trip. It is the Indian prime minister’s first trip to China after the border row that began in May 2020.

In his remarks, Modi also listed measures initiated between the two sides since his meeting with Xi in October last year.

“Last year in Kazan, we had very productive discussions, which gave a positive direction to our relations.” “After the disengagement at the border, an atmosphere of peace and stability is now in place. Our Special Representatives have also reached an agreement on border management,” Modi said.

“The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has resumed. Direct flights are also being resumed between the two countries,” he added.

The prime minister held talks with the Chinese president in October last year in Russia’s Kazan, which took place days after India and China reached an understanding to end the standoff in eastern Ladakh.

India and China have a framework called the Special Representatives on the boundary question to address issues relating to the border.

The prime minister also congratulated Xi on China’s successful presidency of the SCO.

“I congratulate China on its successful presidency of the SCO. Once again, we extend heartfelt gratitude for the invitation to visit China and for our meeting today,” Modi said.

The specific outcomes of the Modi-Xi talks are not yet known.

Ahead of his trip to Tianjin, Modi said it is important for India and China to work together to bring stability to the world economic order.

In an interview with Japan’s The Yomiuri Shimbun, Modi said stable, predictable, and amicable bilateral relations between India and China can have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity.

“Given the current volatility in world economy, it is also important for India and China, as two major economies, to work together to bring stability to the world economic order,” Modi said in the interview published on Friday.

Modi’s trip to China comes less than a fortnight after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited India.

Following Wang’s wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the two sides unveiled a series of measures for a “stable, cooperative and forward-looking” relationship.

The measures included joint maintenance of peace along the contested frontier, reopening border trade and resuming direct flight services at the earliest.

In the last few months, both sides have initiated a series of measures to reset their ties that came under severe strain following the deadly clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in June 2020.