Xi Jinping tells Modi of opportunities for China-India cooperation
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, India, on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. The Chinese leader said that despite different national conditions, the two countries have broad opportunities to learn from each other, provide mutual support, achieve shared success and develop together.
As reported by the South China Morning Post, the talks covered trade, investment, the long-running border dispute and the normalization of bilateral relations. Xi also said that China and India, as the world's two most populous countries and important members of the Global South, bear significant responsibility amid international instability.
Cooperation within BRICS
Xi Jinping called on the two states to develop high-quality cooperation in the expanded BRICS format, support an equal and orderly multipolar world, and inclusive economic globalization. On the Chinese side, the meeting was attended by Cai Qi, a close associate of Xi, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. India was represented by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and India's ambassador to China, Vikram Doraiswami.
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Resumption of contacts
High-level contacts between Beijing and New Delhi almost ceased after a deadly military clash in the Galwan Valley in the Himalayas in June 2020. The confrontation led to years of military tension along the disputed border, the suspension of direct flights and some official dialogue mechanisms.
An important political step took place in October 2024, when Modi and Xi met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia after reaching an agreement on disengagement of forces at the border. The leaders later also met on the sidelines of last year's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Tianjin, China. Direct flights, pilgrimages to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in Tibet, as well as negotiation mechanisms on the border issue, were restored. The next round of border talks is scheduled to take place in India in 2027.
Bilateral trade in goods exceeded US$150 billion according to the latest full-year data. At the same time, economic relations remain uneven and politically sensitive: New Delhi has concerns about market access, the trade imbalance, investment and national security.
