India dismisses report on Xi sending ‘secret’ letter to President Murmu

The Ministry of External Affairs has dismissed a report of Chinese President Xi Jinping sending a “secret” letter to President Droupadi Murmu, which claimed to have improved India-China ties amid Trump’s tariff threats.

Last month, Bloomberg reported Xi wrote a letter to Murmu, which was passed on to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to “test the waters on improving ties”, quoting an Indian official aware of the matter.

MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We have seen that report and can confirm that the story of the letter is incorrect.”

Xi, in the letter, expressed concerns about any deal between India and the United States that could “harm China’s interests and named a provincial official who would steer Beijing’s efforts”, the report said.

After Xi Jinping reportedly sent the letter to India’s president in March, China followed up with a statement celebrating ties between the two nations, likening the relationship to a “dragon-elephant tango,” the report said.

The phrase quickly gained traction among top Chinese officials, including Vice President Han Zheng, who began using it to signal a diplomatic thaw.

China’s Xinhua news agency reported in March that the president had sent a message to New Delhi on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India-China diplomatic ties. In this letter, Xi said that the two countries should find ways to coexist peacefully and that he was ready to deepen communication and coordination in major international affairs and jointly safeguard peace in border areas.

Xi further said that he remains willing to mark the anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties as a moment to enhance strategic mutual trust, strengthen exchanges, and cooperation in various fields, according to Xinhua.