Key points
- Call for mutual trust and respect
- Border issues should not define relations: Xi
ISLAMABAD: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that China and India are “cooperation partners, not rivals”, and that both nations represent “each other’s development opportunities rather than threats”.
During their meeting in the port city of Tianjin, ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2025, Xi stated that as long as the two countries adhere to this guiding principle, China-India relations can experience “steady and long-term growth”, reports China Daily Asia.
Xi emphasised that China and India should become “neighbours on good terms and partners helping each other succeed”. He added that a “cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant” should be the appropriate path forward for the two countries.
75th anniversary of diplomatic relations
Highlighting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India, Xi stressed the importance of viewing and managing bilateral ties from a strategic and long-term standpoint.
He urged both nations to enhance strategic communication to build deeper mutual trust, broaden exchanges and pursue win-win cooperation, respect each other’s concerns to promote harmonious coexistence, and boost multilateral collaboration to protect shared interests.
Xi also remarked that the two Asian neighbours should collaborate to maintain peace and stability in their border areas, and that the border issue should not be allowed to define the broader China-India relationship.
