Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, underlining that peace and tranquility along the India-China border is like an “insurance policy” for the overall relationship.
According to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, the Prime Minister flagged cross-border terrorism as a “priority concern” and urged cooperation between the two countries, noting that both India and China have been victims of terrorism.
Focus on Rebuilding Strained Ties
The meeting comes after the four-year-long border standoff in eastern Ladakh, which officially ended in October last year. Modi and Xi discussed principles for guiding bilateral ties and agreed that differences should not be allowed to turn into disputes.
Misri said there was a broad consensus that a stable and amicable India-China relationship can benefit the 2.8 billion people of both countries.
Xi’s Four Suggestions
President Xi made four proposals to strengthen ties:
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Enhance strategic communication and deepen mutual trust.
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Expand exchanges and cooperation for mutual benefit.
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Address each other’s concerns with sensitivity.
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Strengthen multilateral cooperation to safeguard common interests.
Both leaders also discussed balancing bilateral trade, cooperation on trans-border rivers, boosting people-to-people ties, and jointly tackling terrorism.
The talks also covered broader regional and global challenges. PM Modi expressed support for China’s SCO presidency and invited Xi to the 2026 BRICS Summit in India, which Xi accepted with assurances of full support.
Following the meeting, Modi also met Cai Qi, a senior member of the Chinese Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee. While a banquet was initially planned in Modi’s honour, it was replaced with a brief meeting due to scheduling issues. Misri described the gesture as a sign of the importance China attaches to the Prime Minister’s visit—the first in nearly seven years.
