Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday stressed the need to prevent differences between India and China from turning into disputes as the two leaders held their first bilateral meeting on Indian soil in nearly seven years.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, with the two leaders reviewing the progress made in stabilising ties since their previous meeting in Tianjin in August 2025. The talks carried added significance as New Delhi and Beijing continue efforts to rebuild relations after years of tensions along their disputed border.
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The Ministry of External Affairs said PM Modi and Xi agreed that both countries should approach their relationship from a “strategic and long term perspective”. The two leaders also underlined the importance of expanding areas of cooperation while managing differences through dialogue.
“Differences should not become disputes,” the MEA said in a statement. The PM emphasised that relations between the two Asian powers should be guided by three principles: “mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest”.
BORDER PEACE REMAINS KEY TO TIES
The border issue remained central to the discussions, with PM stressing that peace and tranquillity along the frontier were essential for the continued development of bilateral relations. He called on both sides to adhere to existing agreements and understandings on border-related matters. India and China also reaffirmed their commitment to finding a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement to the boundary question.
The MEA said the two leaders viewed the boundary issue through the broader political relationship between the countries and the long-term interests of their peoples.
The discussions come against the backdrop of the military confrontation in eastern Ladakh that followed the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020. The incident sharply deteriorated relations between New Delhi and Beijing and triggered a prolonged military standoff along the Line of Actual Control.
Xi’s visit to India marks his first trip to India since October 2019, when he met PM Modi for an informal summit in Mamallapuram near Chennai. Within months, relations between the two countries entered their most serious crisis in decades.
TRADE, SUPPLY CHAINS ALSO ON AGENDA
Economic ties also featured in the discussions, with both leaders agreeing on the need to address concerns surrounding trade and investment.
The two leaders discussed the structural imbalance in bilateral trade and supply-chain issues, while stressing the importance of meaningful and predictable market access. People-to-people contacts were another area of focus. The leaders took note of progress in bilateral exchanges and called for greater cultural interaction and mobility between the two countries.
XI URGES INDIA, CHINA TO STRENGTHEN BRICS
Xi also urged India and China to work together to strengthen cooperation within BRICS during his talks with Modi in New Delhi.
The Chinese President said the two countries could learn from each other’s strengths and pursue shared development, while stressing Beijing’s approach to its relationship with New Delhi from a strategic and long-term perspective. The two leaders agreed that India and China should continue expanding common ground on regional and global issues and work together in addressing shared challenges.
PM Modi thanked China for its support for India’s BRICS chairship and appreciated Beijing’s contribution to the success of the 2026 BRICS Summit.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
