'China And India Are Partners, Not Rivals': Xi Tells PM Modi

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday said China and India are “partners, not rivals” and “opportunities, not threats” for each other’s development, signalling a push to further stabilise bilateral ties.

During his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, Xi said both sides should make development the “greatest co

mmon denominator” and strengthen friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation.

“We should calibrate our direction with an objective and rational strategic understanding. China and India are partners, not rivals, and opportunities, not threats, for each other’s development. This strategic judgment is based on the development stages of both countries and the international environment, and it aligns

with the common interests of both countries and their people,” Xi said.

The Chinese President told Modi that the two sides should expand cooperation in areas such as people-to-people exchanges and direct flights to strengthen the public support for bilateral relations.

“We should address each other’s economic and trade concerns in a balanced manner, promoting the healthy and stable development of bilateral economic and trade relations,” he said.

Xi also called for greater political wisdom and mutual understanding while dealing with differences between the two countries.

“We should eliminate interference with the political wisdom of mutual respect and understanding. We should commit to the parallel development and mutual promotion of bilateral relations and border issues, maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas,” he said.

Calling for greater cooperation on the global stage, Xi said China and India should support each other within multilateral frameworks and work together to address global challenges.

“We should benefit the world through open and inclusive multilateral cooperation. We should support each other’s presidency of BRICS, strengthen cooperation within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and the G20, work together to address global challenges, and unequivocally defend international fairness and justice,” he said.

The meeting took place hours after Xi arrived in the national capital on a two-day visit to attend the BRICS Summit, marking his first trip to India in seven years.

Xi’s visit came amid a series of high-level exchanges between India and China, including the Special Representative dialogue in Beijing between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. However, concerns remain over Chinese military posturing along the Arunachal Pradesh sector.

Modi and Xi had also held wide-ranging talks on August 31 last year on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China.

In recent months, the two sides have taken a series of steps to rebuild bilateral ties, which came under severe strain following the deadly Galwan Valley clashes in 2020.