Chinese President Xi Jinping extended a warm welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin. Xi described friendship between India and China as the “right choice” and recalled their previous meeting in Russia’s Kazan during the BRICS Summit in October 2024.
Addressing Modi, Xi said, “It is a great pleasure to meet you again, Mr Prime Minister. We are two ancient civilisations, the world’s most populous nations, and important members of the Global South. Together, we shoulder the responsibility of improving the lives of our people, fostering solidarity among developing nations, and advancing human progress. The dragon and the elephant must walk together as good neighbours, partners, and friends.” He also highlighted that this year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between India and China.
Xi stressed that both countries must view their relationship with a long-term and strategic lens. He urged joint efforts to safeguard multilateralism, support a multipolar world, and strengthen democratic representation in global institutions, with the aim of achieving peace and prosperity in Asia and beyond.
The bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi lasted more than 50 minutes and came amid rising US tariffs on India and China’s strained ties with Washington. This was Modi’s first trip to China in seven years, following tensions that peaked after the Galwan Valley clash.
In his remarks, Modi reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening ties based on “mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity.” He pointed out that disengagement along the border has created a more stable environment and cited the progress made since their meeting in Kazan. The Prime Minister also discussed resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and restoring direct flights between the two countries, signalling a push to revive people-to-people ties.
Modi underlined that cooperation between India and China impacts 2.8 billion people, adding that such engagement could benefit the entire world.
The SCO Summit, chaired by Xi Jinping, opened with over 20 foreign leaders and 10 international organisation heads present. Alongside China, India, and Russia, members include Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus, with 16 additional countries serving as observers or dialogue partners.
