Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (August 31) held a five-hour meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin. This was their first face-to-face interaction since October 2024 in Kazan.
After the meeting, PM Modi posted on X, "Had a fruitful meeting with President Xi Jinping in Tianjin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. We reviewed the positive momentum in India-China relations since our last meeting in Kazan. We agreed on the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas and reaffirmed our commitment to cooperation based on mutual respect, mutual interest, and mutual sensitivity."
Both leaders underlined the need to view India and China as partners in development rather than rivals, stressing that differences should not escalate into disputes. Modi described the engagement as a āfruitful meetingā and reiterated their shared commitment to maintaining peace along the border.
The two leaders reviewed progress on troop disengagement at sensitive points and agreed to continue working toward a long-term resolution of boundary issues. They also discussed enhancing cross-border travel, including resumption of Indian pilgrimages to Kailash Manasarovar, direct flights and streamlined visa processes.
On the economic front, Modi and Xi acknowledged the significance of bilateral trade for global stability and explored ways to strengthen business ties while addressing Indiaās trade deficit with China. Modi further emphasised that both nations pursue independent foreign policies and their relations should not be shaped by external perspectives.
Inviting Xi to attend the BRICS Summit in India in 2026, Modi secured the Chinese leaderās assurance of support for New Delhiās presidency of the bloc. Separately, the Prime Minister also met senior Communist Party official Cai Qi to discuss his vision for advancing India-China relations.
