Border peace crucial, ties shouldn't be seen through 'third-country lens': PM Modi during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping
PTC News Desk: During bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday underscored that the future of India-China relations hinges on continued peace along the border and should not be viewed through a “third-country” lens.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed satisfaction over the peace and stability maintained along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since the troop disengagement in October last year.
“The Prime Minister noted that India and China both pursue strategic autonomy, and their relations should not be seen through a third-country lens,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement, following the Modi–Xi meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China.
Both leaders endorsed the progress made during the 24th round of Special Representative-level talks held in New Delhi on August 19 between NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who were also present at the Tianjin meeting.
Reaffirming that India and China are “partners in development, not rivals,” they agreed that differences should not escalate into disputes. The two sides stressed the need for a political and strategic approach to deepen trade and investment ties while working to address the trade imbalance.
They also emphasized broadening cooperation on bilateral, regional, and global issues such as terrorism and fair trade within multilateral forums. Strengthening people-to-people exchanges was another focus, with discussions on enhancing direct flights, easing visas, and building on initiatives like the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and tourist visas.
This meeting was the first between Modi and Xi since their last engagement at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024. In his opening remarks, Modi called those discussions “meaningful” and said they had set the “right direction.”
- With inputs from agencies
