PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed steady progress in India-China relations, stressing mutual respect, sensitivity and interest, peaceful borders, stronger economic ties, cultural exchanges and a strategic, long-term approach to resolving differences.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday emphasised the need for a strategic and long-term approach to India-China relations, welcoming the steady progress made in bilateral ties and stressing that differences between the two countries should not turn into disputes.
The two leaders held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, where they discussed a broad range of issues, including border stability, economic and trade relations, people-to-people contacts, cultural exchanges and regional and global challenges.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Modi and Xi welcomed the progress in India-China bilateral relations since their previous meeting in Tianjin in August 2025. Both leaders reaffirmed that the two countries should approach their relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective.
“Differences should not become disputes,” the MEA said, highlighting the importance of managing differences through dialogue and maintaining a broader perspective on bilateral ties.
Prime Minister Modi stressed that India-China relations should be guided by three key principles — mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest. He also underlined that peace and tranquillity in the border areas remain an essential foundation for the continued development of relations between the two countries.
The Prime Minister called for both sides to continue observing existing agreements and understandings relating to border issues. The two leaders also reiterated their commitment to finding a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the long-standing boundary question.
The MEA said the boundary issue should be addressed from the political perspective of the overall bilateral relationship while keeping in mind the long-term interests of the people of both countries.
The discussions also focused on improving people-to-people relations. Modi and Xi took note of progress in this area and stressed the need to further strengthen cultural exchanges, business linkages and mobility between India and China.
Economic and trade relations were another important area of discussion. The two leaders acknowledged the need to address concerns on both sides, particularly structural trade imbalances and supply-chain-related issues.
They also stressed the importance of facilitating meaningful and predictable market access as part of efforts to develop more balanced and stable economic engagement between the two countries.
Beyond bilateral issues, Modi and Xi agreed on the need to expand common ground on regional and global matters. The leaders discussed the importance of working together in addressing shared challenges and strengthening cooperation wherever common interests exist.
Prime Minister Modi also appreciated China’s support for India’s BRICS chairship and its contribution to the successful conduct of the 2026 BRICS Summit.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and other senior officials were present during the meeting.
Earlier, Modi warmly welcomed Xi Jinping and other leaders of BRICS member countries at the venue of the summit. The ceremony featured the iconic Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram as the backdrop. During the event, Modi was seen briefly explaining the significance of the temple backdrop to Xi.
The meeting comes amid continued efforts by India and China to stabilise their relationship following the deadly Galwan Valley clashes of 2020, which significantly strained bilateral ties. Since then, both countries have focused on maintaining peace along the border while gradually working to restore broader engagement.
Modi and Xi had also shared a brief interaction during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on August 31. Their earlier bilateral meeting took place on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin in August 2025.
The latest talks indicate an effort by both sides to maintain the momentum in improving bilateral relations while keeping unresolved issues, particularly the boundary question, within a framework of dialogue and diplomatic engagement.
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India has consistently maintained that peace and tranquillity in the border areas are crucial for the development of broader bilateral ties. The latest meeting once again placed that principle at the centre of discussions between the two leaders.
With both sides stressing mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest, the Modi-Xi meeting underlined the importance of preventing differences from escalating into disputes while expanding areas of cooperation in trade, culture, mobility and international affairs.
