Modi Tells Xi Jinping: India Committed to Improving Ties with China

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday told Chinese President Xi Jinping that New Delhi is committed to improving relations with Beijing, during a high-level meeting where both sides pledged to move beyond years of border tensions.

Modi is in China for the first time in seven years to attend the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which has also brought together Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders from Central, South, Southeast Asia and the Middle East in a show of solidarity with the Global South.

According to a video clip shared on the Indian leader’s official X account, Modi told Xi on the sidelines of the summit: “We are committed to advancing our relations on the basis of mutual respect, trust, and sensitivity.”

The meeting came just five days after Washington imposed a steep 50% tariff on Indian goods in retaliation for New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil. Analysts say both Xi and Modi are seeking to present a united front against mounting Western pressure.

Modi said that “peace and stability” had returned along the disputed Himalayan frontier, where a deadly clash in 2020 sparked a prolonged military standoff that froze most areas of cooperation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. He added that the two sides had reached an understanding on border management, though he did not provide details.

China’s state-run Xinhua quoted Xi as saying: “We should not let the boundary question define the overall China-India relationship.” Xi added that if both sides focused on seeing each other as partners rather than rivals, bilateral ties could become “stable and far-reaching.”

The two leaders had last met in Russia, where they reached a border patrol agreement that marked a tentative thaw—one that has gathered momentum in recent weeks as New Delhi looks to shield itself from fresh U.S. tariff threats.

Modi also announced that direct flights between the two countries—suspended since 2020—would resume, though he did not specify a timeline.

Earlier this month, during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to India, Beijing agreed to lift export restrictions on rare earths, fertilizers, and tunneling machinery.

China’s ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, said earlier this month that Beijing opposed Washington’s punitive tariffs on India and would “stand firmly with India.”

For decades, Washington has sought to deepen ties with New Delhi in the hope of positioning it as a counterweight to Beijing.

In recent months, China has allowed Indian pilgrims to visit Buddhist sites in Tibet, while the two countries have also lifted reciprocal visa restrictions for tourists.

“India and China are engaged in a long and difficult process of finding a new balance in their relationship,” said Manoj Kewalramani, an expert on China-India relations at the Takshashila Institution in Bengaluru.

Still, long-standing challenges remain. China is India’s largest trading partner, but the persistent trade deficit—seen by Indian officials as a major source of frustration—hit a record $99.2 billion this year.

Meanwhile, a massive dam planned by China in Tibet has raised fears of large-scale river diversion, with Indian government estimates warning that water flow in the Brahmaputra during the dry season could fall by as much as 85%.

India also hosts the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, whom Beijing regards as a dangerous separatist. And Pakistan—India’s arch-rival—continues to benefit from China’s strong economic, diplomatic, and military support.