Indian PM Narendra Modi’s first trip to China since the two countries entered a period of heightened tension. This visit follows deadly border clashes of 2020 between the two countries. The high-level meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping took place in Tianjin. It was particularly oriented towards mitigating border discrepancies and deepening bilateral ties, especially in light of India’s inclusion into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
In the final remarks of this meeting, Xi declared that the future of China-India relations looked bright. He stated his desire for the discussions to “further promote the sustained, healthy and stable development of bilateral relations.” The leaders acknowledged that improving ties is essential for both nations to focus on economic collaboration, with Xi emphasizing the need to “not let the border issue define the overall China-India relationship.”
Counterparts, key into this, Modi spoke to the remarkable recent pace of the relations Modi, declaring that the bilateral have traveled in “a meaningful direction. He noted that there exists “a peaceful environment at the borders after disengagement,” which contributes positively to ongoing diplomatic efforts. He stressed “the importance of peace and tranquillity on the border areas for continued development of bilateral relations.”
This event is a significant one for both nations. They’ve lately experienced a wave of high-level visits and discussions aimed at reducing impediments to trade and promoting the freer movement of people across their long-shared border. Modi’s visit to China coincides with a broader context of changing global dynamics, including U.S. President Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs on India related to its purchase of Russian oil.
This meeting opens the door to a robust series of regional diplomatic engagements. The hope is to restore some of these connections that have withered over the past few years. China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, visited New Delhi in August, signaling a thaw in relations and setting the stage for this significant encounter between Modi and Xi.
Indeed, since taking office, Xi’s administration has strongly pushed for cultural exchanges. This year, they opened up access for Indian pilgrims to visit holy sites located in Tibet. This move demonstrates how far both countries are willing to go to build goodwill and build community connections through educational exchange.
As both leaders prepare for a regional summit in Tianjin, they pledged to resolve their longstanding border differences and bolster cooperation in various sectors. He will soon be joined at that table by Russian President Vladimir Putin and hopefully one other important player in this drama, Russian President Vladimir Putin. Their participation highlights the geopolitical importance of their meeting.
