Xi, Modi agree China and India should be partners, not rivals

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Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have reaffirmed that China and India should view each other as partners rather than rivals as the two countries seek to strengthen bilateral relations.

The two leaders met on Saturday on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, where they held discussions on bilateral ties, trade, border issues and wider cooperation within BRICS and other multilateral organisations.

Xi said China approaches its relationship with India from a strategic and long-term perspective, noting that institutional exchanges have gradually resumed, areas of cooperation have expanded and bilateral trade has reached a new high.

He outlined four areas for advancing relations: maintaining an objective strategic view of each other, expanding mutually beneficial cooperation, managing differences through mutual respect and strengthening coordination on global issues.

Xi said China and India should regard each other’s development as an opportunity rather than a threat. He also called for greater people-to-people exchanges, including direct flights, and for both countries to address economic and trade concerns in a balanced manner.

On the longstanding boundary issue, Xi said both sides should continue efforts to resolve differences while maintaining peace and stability in border areas.

Modi, meanwhile, said India also wants to be a partner rather than a rival of China and views China’s development as an opportunity rather than a challenge.

He said India is prepared to maintain high-level exchanges, strengthen strategic communication and deepen economic and people-to-people cooperation with Beijing.

The two leaders also pledged closer coordination through BRICS, the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the G20.

Modi thanked China for supporting India’s hosting of this year’s BRICS Summit and said New Delhi would support China’s BRICS chairship next year.

The meeting comes as Beijing and New Delhi continue efforts to improve relations between the world’s two most populous countries following several years of heightened tensions.