Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored the importance of mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity in India-China relations during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday.
The two leaders held extensive discussions on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in northern China, aiming to recalibrate the relationship between the Asian giants.
In his opening remarks, Modi said that the future of 2.8 billion people is tied to cooperation between India and China, emphasizing that both nations share a responsibility for regional and global stability.
This meeting marks Modi’s first visit to China since the eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted in May 2020.
It comes less than two weeks after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Delhi, where the two sides announced steps to restore stability, including reopening border trade and resuming direct flight services.
Modi noted that peace has largely prevailed along the Line of Actual Control following last year’s disengagement process.
He also welcomed the revival of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and confirmed that direct flights between the two countries are set to resume.
“We are committed to advancing ties built on trust, respect, and sensitivity,” Modi said, also congratulating Xi on China’s successful presidency of the SCO.
While specific outcomes of the talks were not immediately disclosed, the dialogue signals a renewed effort to stabilise ties strained since the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes.
Ahead of the SCO summit, Modi told Japan’s The Yomiuri Shimbun that a steady and predictable relationship between India and China is essential for regional peace and global prosperity.
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“Given the current volatility in the world economy, it is important for India and China, as major economies, to work together to bring stability to the global economic order,” he said in the interview published Friday.
Sunday’s talks build on recent diplomatic engagements, including the October meeting between Modi and Xi in Kazan after both sides reached an understanding to defuse tensions along the border.
India and China continue to rely on their Special Representatives mechanism to address boundary-related issues.
In recent months, both nations have taken incremental steps toward normalization after ties were severely tested by the violent Galwan clashes of June 2020.
