Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held high-level bilateral talks today on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. The meeting marks President Xi’s first visit to India in seven years and signifies a continued thaw in diplomatic relations between the two Asian neighbors.
Briefing reporters following the high-stakes discussion, Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), characterized the meeting as productive. He noted that both leaders reviewed the steady progress achieved in India-China relations since their previous summit in Tianjin, China.
This meeting marks the third consecutive year that Modi and Xi have conferred in person, following summit meetings in Kazan (2024) and Tianjin (2025). According to the MEA spokesperson, both leaders "underscored the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility in border areas, and reaffirmed their commitment to pursue cooperation based on mutual respect, mutual interests, and mutual sensitivity."
Prime Minister Modi and President Xi welcomed the positive trajectory in bilateral relations over the past year. "They reaffirmed that both countries should take a strategic and long-term perspective on their ties. Differences should not become disputes," the Ministry stated. During the conversation, Modi highlighted that sustained progress must remain anchored in the "Three Mutuals"—mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest.
Relations between the world’s two most populous nations and fastest-growing major economies reached a historical low following the June 2020 military clash in the Galwan Valley along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Prior to the border confrontation, the two leaders had engaged in informal summits designed to build strategic confidence:
- 2017: A brief military standoff took place at the Doklam tri-junction.
- 2018: Modi and Xi held their inaugural informal summit in Wuhan, China, to reset relations post-Doklam.
- 2019: The second informal summit took place in Chennai, India, where the leaders reportedly discussed a "2+1" dialogue framework for regional stability in South Asia.
- 2020 : Galwan valley clash
Despite ongoing efforts to normalize broader diplomatic ties, the unresolved boundary question remains a core diplomatic and security concern for both New Delhi and Beijing. The bilateral relationship began to stabilize following a milestone agreement on military disengagement and patrolling arrangements along disputed sectors of the border. This diplomatic breakthrough paved the way for renewed leader-level engagement, including Prime Minister Modi’s visit to China in 2025 for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.Diplomatic channels have remained active across multiple tiers:
- Special Representatives' Talks: In late August, Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi convened the 25th round of Special Representatives' talks on the boundary question, maintaining a regular rhythm of high-level border dialogues.
- Economic & Civilian Links: Over the past two years, both capitals have moved to incrementally restore commercial ties, cultural exchanges, and direct transport links. A major step in this restoration includes China Southern Airlines' recent announcement to resume direct commercial flights connecting New Delhi and Guangzhou.
Addressing the broader geopolitical backdrop, President Xi noted during the meeting that amid a complex international landscape defined by rapid global shifts, China and India—as key representatives of the Global South—carry substantial global responsibilities. According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, Xi emphasized that both nations stand to benefit by drawing on each other’s respective strengths to pursue shared economic development and regional stability.
The future of India-China relations hinges primarily on the effective management and resolution of their long-standing border disputes. While both nations have resumed trade dialogue and diplomatic engagement, maintaining peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) remains the essential prerequisite for full normalization. South Asian nations, including Nepal, are closely monitoring the diplomatic thaw between India and China, as both Asian powers actively compete for influence across the region's smaller states. Smaller South Asian countries are striving to maintain a balanced relationship with both regional powers.
