Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday held wide-ranging talks on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, where both leaders emphasised that India and China were “partners, not rivals” and that their shared interests were greater than their differences.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri briefed reporters on the discussions, noting that President Xi also put forward four key suggestions to take relations forward.
Misri said the two leaders were in agreement that their respective countries were primarily focused on domestic development goals. “They both agreed that the two countries were primarily focused on their domestic development goals, and in this, they were partners rather than rivals. It was also an element of consensus between them that a stable and amicable relationship between India and China can be to the benefit of the 2.8 billion people who live in the two countries. The common interests of the two countries outweigh their differences and the two leaders also shared a consensus on the fact that differences should not be allowed to be turned into disputes,” Misri stated, as per news agency ANI.
He added that both sides acknowledged the significance of India and China’s cooperation in shaping an “Asian century” and ensuring a functioning multipolar world order.
According to news agency IANS, Misri noted that the issue of cross-border terrorism figured into their talks. “Cross-border terrorism was mentioned by the Prime Minister as a priority, and I would add that he underlined the fact that this is something that impacts both India and China. It is therefore important that we extend understanding and support to each other as both of us combat cross-border terrorism. I would also like to note that we have received the understanding and cooperation of China in dealing with the issue of cross-border terrorism in the context of the ongoing SCO summit,” the Foreign Secretary said.
The remark assumes significance in light of recent Pahalgam attacks, subsequent Operation Sindoor, and India-Pakistan conflict where Beijing was reported as lending support to Islamabad.
Border Issue, Peace Along LAC
The contentious boundary question also came up in the discussions. Misri said the leaders took note of the “successful disengagement last year and the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border regions since then.”
“The Prime Minister underlined the need for peace and tranquillity on the border areas for continued and smooth development of bilateral relations,” Misri said, stressing that existing mechanisms must be used to prevent disturbances.
“They also expressed commitment to a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question proceeding from the political perspective of their overall bilateral relations and in the long-term interests of the two peoples. Amongst other issues, the two leaders also exchanged views on ways to increase and balance bilateral trade, strengthen people-to-people ties, cooperate on trans-border rivers, and jointly fight terrorism. There was a desire to make additional progress on all of these issues on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interests, and mutual sensitivity,” Misri added, as quoted by PTI.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) earlier said both leaders expressed commitment to working towards “a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution” of the boundary issue while proceeding from the political perspective of their overall ties and the long-term interests of their peoples.
Xi’s Four Suggestions, Modi’s Response
According to Misri, President Xi made four suggestions to strengthen ties — “to strengthen strategic communication and deepen mutual trust, to expand exchanges and cooperation, to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, to accommodate each other’s concerns, and finally to strengthen multilateral cooperation to safeguard common interests.”
“All of these were responded to positively by Prime Minister Modi,” Misri confirmed.
Regarding economic and trade relations, the leaders noted that the Indian and the Chinese economies can play in stabilising world trade. “Both leaders underlined the need, once again, to proceed from a political and strategic direction to reduce their bilateral trade deficit, facilitate bilateral trade and investment ties in both directions, and increase policy transparency and predictability,” the Foreign Secretary stated.
The Indian readout highlighted that Modi reaffirmed New Delhi’s commitment to advancing ties “based on mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity,” while reiterating that peace along the border was essential for overall development. Modi also noted that India and China both pursued “strategic autonomy” and said relations “should not be seen through a third country lens.”
In his televised opening remarks in Hindi, Modi said: “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.”
Trade, Investment, and People-to-People Links
The two leaders pledged to expand bilateral trade and investment ties and address the trade deficit. They also underlined the need for cooperation on global challenges such as terrorism and fair trade in multilateral forums.
The MEA said both sides welcomed the resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra and agreed to bolster people-to-people ties through direct flights and visa facilitation. Modi also extended an invitation to Xi to attend the BRICS Summit India will host in 2026, which Xi accepted while assuring China’s support to India’s presidency.
In a post on social media, the Prime Minister described his talks with Xi as “fruitful,” adding: “We reviewed the positive momentum in India-China relations since our last meeting in Kazan. We agreed on the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility in border areas and reaffirmed our commitment to cooperation based on mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity.”
Meeting With Cai Qi
Apart from his meeting with Xi, Prime Minister Modi also met Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China. Modi shared his vision for future relations and sought support for its implementation. The MEA said Cai reiterated China’s desire to “expand bilateral exchanges and further improve relations in line with the consensus reached between the two leaders.”
Regarding their meeting, Misri revealed, “The PM had a separate meeting with Cai Qi, member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee. There was originally a proposal from the Chinese side for Mr. Cai to host a banquet for the Prime Minister on behalf of President Xi Jinping. This was meant as a special gesture to show the importance attached by China to the visit of the Prime Minister, which was taking place after a hiatus of nearly seven years. However, as there was a scheduling conflict, it was decided to have a brief meeting between Prime Minister and Mr Cai.”
“During the meeting, the Prime Minister shared his overall vision for the India-China relationship with Mr Cai and sought his involvement and his role to realise the consensus of the two leaders. Mr Cai, for his part, reiterated the Chinese side’s desire to expand bilateral exchanges in various fields, to address our respective concerns in economic areas and to further improve relations in line with the consensus that had been reached between the Prime Minister and the President in their meeting earlier in the morning,” he added.
