- Prime Minister Modi and President Xi held talks in New Delhi to enhance India-China relations
- Xi Jinping arrived for a two-day visit, his first to India in seven years
- Discussions focused on border stability, trade, and investment cooperation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in New Delhi on Saturday as the two countries sought to broaden engagement, with border stability, trade and investment emerging as key areas in efforts to put India-China relations on a more constructive footing.
Xi arrived in New Delhi for a two-day visit, his first to India in seven years, returning at a moment when the two countries are seeking to widen engagement despite lingering differences over their disputed border.
He was welcomed at the airport by Union Minister Jitin Prasada before heading into talks with PM Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.
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Welcoming the Chinese leader, PM Modi thanked Beijing for its support and cooperation during India's BRICS chairmanship and said the meeting offered an opportunity to discuss bilateral ties.
“It gives me great pleasure to extend a warm welcome to you. Thank you very much for your positive remarks at the BRICS Summit,” Modi said, adding that the two sides could use the occasion to advance bilateral cooperation.
Xi said he received Modi's invitation on his birthday, June 15, and noted that the two leaders had met 21 times over the years.
Those engagements, he said, had helped guide China-India relations towards steady development.
“China has always viewed and developed its relations with India from a strategic and long-term perspective,” Xi said, arguing that the two countries could learn from each other's strengths, support one another and pursue common development.
He also called for greater cooperation between India and China, describing them as the world's two most populous countries and important members of the Global South.
“Both sides should keep the future of humanity in mind and care for the well-being of our peoples, working together to play the role of major countries,” Xi said.
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The talks come against the backdrop of the lingering boundary dispute, with the Line of Actual Control (LAC) likely to remain central to the broader relationship.
India has consistently maintained that peace and tranquillity along the border are essential for the development of ties.
Beijing has traditionally argued that the boundary question should be addressed separately from other areas of cooperation.
The meeting could offer an opportunity to assess whether recent diplomatic engagement can translate into a broader stabilisation of relations, including stronger economic and investment ties.
However, any substantive progress on the border will depend on the positions adopted by both sides in subsequent discussions.
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