China has signalled its willingness to improve relations with India ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Summit. The visit, his first to India in nearly seven years, comes at a crucial time as both countries seek to stabilise ties after years of tensions along their disputed border.
Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong said Beijing and New Delhi are arranging a bilateral meeting between Xi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to Xu, the two leaders are set to meet for the third consecutive year, following their earlier meetings in Kazan and Tianjin.
In a post on X, the Chinese envoy said both countries should follow the strategic guidance of their leaders, look at bilateral relations from a long-term perspective and increase communication and cooperation. He also stressed the need to “properly handle differences” while describing India and China as neighbours and partners.
The expected Modi-Xi meeting is likely to focus on the progress made in restoring normal relations and the next steps on the long-running boundary dispute. India and China have taken several measures in recent years to reduce tensions, but significant differences remain.
New Delhi continues to have concerns over Chinese restrictions affecting Indian businesspeople, as well as controls on the export of certain technologies and equipment. Beijing, meanwhile, has argued that the border dispute should not prevent wider economic and diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
India has maintained that peace and stability along the border are essential for the overall development of bilateral relations.
Xi’s visit also comes amid reports of fresh tensions involving Indian and Chinese troops in Taksing in Arunachal Pradesh. Another major concern for India is China’s proposed mega dam project on the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra in Tibet. The estimated $137-billion project has raised concerns in New Delhi over downstream water security, transparency and information sharing.
Xi last visited India in October 2019 for an informal summit with Modi in Mamallapuram. Months later, the 2020 Ladakh military standoff severely strained bilateral relations.
Against this backdrop, the upcoming Modi-Xi talks are being closely watched for signs of whether the two sides can deepen engagement while managing their long-standing differences.
Reader Comments 0