New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday welcomed the steady progress in India-China bilateral relations since their last meeting in Tianjin in August 2025 and reaffirmed the need to take a strategic and long-term perspective of ties.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Modi stressed that differences should not become disputes and said both sides must be guided by three mutuals — mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest.
The border issue remained an important part of the discussions. Modi emphasised that peace and tranquillity in the border areas remains an essential basis for the continued development of bilateral relations. He also underlined the need for both sides to observe existing agreements and understandings on border-related issues.
The two leaders expressed their commitment to a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question, proceeding from the political perspective of their overall bilateral relations and the long-term interests of the two peoples.
The discussions also covered people-to-people ties. The two leaders took note of the progress in this area and underscored the need to further promote cultural exchanges, business linkages and greater mobility between the two countries.
On economic and trade relations, Modi and Xi underlined the need to address each other’s concerns, including structural trade imbalance and supply-chain issues. They also stressed the importance of facilitating meaningful and predictable market access.
The two leaders agreed that India and China should continue to expand common ground on regional and global issues and work together in addressing challenges.
The meeting also had a BRICS dimension. Modi appreciated China’s support for India’s BRICS chairship and its contributions towards the success of the 2026 BRICS Summit.
The meeting comes as India and China seek to build on the progress made in their bilateral relationship since the two leaders last met in Tianjin.
For New Delhi, the MEA account makes clear that the improvement in ties is being pursued alongside continued emphasis on border peace, adherence to existing agreements, addressing trade concerns and expanding people-to-people exchanges.
The meeting thus underscored the two sides’ stated intention to sustain the positive momentum in relations while addressing differences through dialogue and existing mechanisms.
