Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthening relations with China during a key meeting with President Xi Jinping on Sunday. The two leaders agreed to move past tensions stemming from their prolonged border standoff and focus on improving bilateral ties.
This marks Modi’s first visit to China in seven years, where he is attending the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. The gathering also includes Russian President Vladimir Putin and several leaders from Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, underscoring a broader display of Global South solidarity.
The bilateral meeting came just five days after Washington imposed steep 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods in response to New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil. Analysts noted that both Xi and Modi appeared keen to signal a united front against Western pressure.
Modi told Xi that an atmosphere of “peace and stability” had been established along their disputed Himalayan frontier, the site of deadly clashes in 2020 that froze most avenues of cooperation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. He added that the two sides had reached a new agreement on border management, though he did not provide details.
According to Chinese state media outlet Xinhua, Xi emphasized that “the border issue must not be allowed to define the overall China-India relationship.” He further suggested that ties could become “stable and far-reaching” if both nations approached one another as partners rather than rivals.
The meeting was held at the Tianjin Guest House, a secluded venue surrounded by gardens and thick greenery. Security was tight, with guards closely monitoring reporters and guests while Chinese diplomats moved briskly through the halls. Much of Tianjin saw road closures and a heavy police deployment during the talks. The city’s streets were lined with official SCO posters bearing slogans such as “mutual benefit” and “equality” in Chinese and Russian.
Sunday’s dialogue built on a breakthrough meeting the two leaders held in Russia last year, when they reached a border patrol agreement. That deal initiated a cautious thaw in relations, which has since gained momentum as India looks to balance its position amid renewed tariff threats from Washington.
China recently agreed to ease export restrictions on rare earths, fertilizers, and tunnel-boring machines during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to India earlier this month. Beijing has also voiced opposition to Washington’s steep tariffs on Indian goods, with Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong declaring that China would “firmly stand with India.”
For decades, the United States has worked to deepen its partnership with New Delhi, seeing India as a potential counterbalance to China’s influence in the region. In a sign of warming ties, China has allowed Indian pilgrims to access Buddhist sites in Tibet, while both countries have also lifted reciprocal tourist visa restrictions.
“India and China are now engaged in what will likely be a long and complex process of establishing a new equilibrium in their relationship,” said Manoj Kewalramani, a Sino-Indian relations expert at the Takshashila Institution in Bengaluru.
Leave a comment