Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met Saturday on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi, marking the latest effort by the rival neighbors to repair relations damaged by a deadly border clash six years ago.
Xi said that China views its relationship with India from a "strategic and long-term perspective," calling on both nations to draw on each other's strengths, support one another and pursue common development. Urging "high-quality cooperation," Xi said China and India, as major members of the Global South, should promote a more multipolar world and contribute to global peace and stability.
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Modi thanked Xi for China's cooperation in hosting the summit, noting that China will host the event next year. The leaders previously held talks in China last year when Modi attended a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional political, economic and security bloc founded by Beijing.
The summit marks Xi's first visit to India since 2019 and represents a cautious thaw six years after a 2020 military clash in the cold desert region of Ladakh left at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese dead.
Although both nuclear-armed powers have taken steps to ease tensions, deep mistrust persists over unresolved border disputes, India's substantial trade deficit with China, restrictions on Chinese investment and technology, and competing Asian strategic interests. Additionally, India has significantly expanded military infrastructure along the disputed frontier, while Beijing has constructed roads and defensive positions on its side.
Xi's visit is expected to test whether recent progress can lead to broader diplomatic stabilization. Since their 1962 war, both economies have expanded substantially; however, China has far outpaced India and maintains a large trade surplus, fueling economic rivalry alongside territorial and strategic friction.
Seeking to leverage China's rising labor costs and Beijing's strained ties with the United States and Europe, India is positioning itself as an alternative base for foreign manufacturers. New Delhi also views China's multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative with concern and remains strongly opposed to it. Conversely, India's growing strategic partnership with the U.S. has raised concern in Beijing, which views the alignment as an effort to counter China's rise.