Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Tianjin, where he reiterated New Delhi’s commitment to improving ties with Beijing. This is Modi’s first trip to China in seven years and comes amid the India-US standoff over Trump Tariffs.
."We are committed to progressing our relations based on mutual respect, trust, and sensitivities," Modi told Xi during the meeting, according to a video clip posted on the Indian leader's official X account.
The landmark visit is also the first since India-China relations thawed after both countries reached a pact last October on patrolling their disputed Himalayan border following a deadly clash between troops in 2020.
In the televised opening remarks, Modi did mention the “peace and stability” along the border and hailed the resumption of direct flights between the two countries. He added that the welfare of 2.8 billion people is linked to bilateral cooperation between India and China. There was consent between our Special Representatives on border management, Modi said.
Sharing my remarks during meeting with President Xi Jinping. https://t.co/pw1OAMBWdc
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 31, 2025
"The interests of 2.8 billion people of both countries are linked to our cooperation. This will also pave the way for the welfare of the entire humanity," he said adding that it was important for both countries to be "friends and good neighbours".
"The world is going towards transformation. China and India are two of the most civilizational countries. We are the world's two most populous countries and part of the Global South... It is vital to be friends, a good neighbour, and the Dragon and the Elephant to come together," he said.
Modi’s statement comes as China urged India to stand against the “bully” US and offered support to stand with India against Washington’s steep tariffs. Analysts think both countries are on the path to recalibrate their relations. "Both India and China are engaged in what is likely to be a lengthy and fraught process of defining a new equilibrium in the relationship," said Manoj Kewalramani, a Sino-Indian relations expert at the Takshashila Institution think tank in Bengaluru, told Reuters.
