India Denies Report That Xi’s Letter Helped Revive Ties

India denied a news story that said a letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping to his Indian counterpart played a role in the thawing of tensions between the neighbors. 

“We have seen the report and can confirm that the story of the letter is incorrect,” Randhir Jaiswal, spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said in response to a question from a reporter at a regular briefing on Friday in New Delhi. He didn’t elaborate further.

Bloomberg News reported last week that Xi wrote a letter to Indian President Droupadi Murmu in March, which wasn’t made public, to test the waters on improving ties, according to an Indian official familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified in order to discuss internal matters. 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week met Xi in his first trip to China in seven years, with both leaders pledging to strengthen ties and be partners, not rivals.