Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the “steady progress” made in improving the bilateral relationship with China during his meeting with Beijing’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday.
Wang’s visit follows years of poor relations between the nuclear-armed Asian powers.
“Since my meeting with President Xi [Jinping] in Kazan last year, India-China relations have made steady progress guided by respect for each other’s interests and sensitivities,” Modi said in a post on social media platform X.
Modi to visit China at end of August
At the start of the meeting, India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval said Modi will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit that begins on August 31 in Tianjin.
“Our prime minister will be visiting for the SCO summit,” Doval said, speaking of “new energy” in diplomatic ties.
It will be the first time in seven years the Indian Prime Minister will travel to China.
Wang said China “attaches great importance” to Modi’s visit to the SCO summit, according to an official translator.
“History and reality prove once again that a healthy and stable China-India relationship serves the fundamental and long-term interests of both of our countries,” Wang added.
When did Indo-Chinese ties begin mending?
India and China, the world’s two most populous nations, have had a tense relationship marred by rivalries and competitions for influence across South Asia.
In 2020, tensions escalated to a deadly border clash. The violence left 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers dead, putting an indefinite freeze on high-level political engagements.
The thaw between Beijing and New Delhi began last October when Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at a summit of emerging economies in Russia.
It was the first time the leaders had formally spoken since 2019.
Trump tariffs key to improving India-China relations
The rebuilding of India-China ties comes as US President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariffs policy has increased friction between New Delhi and Washington with steep tariffs on India.
India has been a longtime US ally, seen as a counterbalance against China’s influence in Asia.
This year, both India and China have increased official visits and discussed easing some trade restrictions, movement of citizens and visas for businesspeople.
In the last week, the spokesman for India’s Foreign Ministry, Randhir Jaiswal, explained India and China have been in discussions to restart trade through three areas along their 3,488-kilometer (2,167-mile) border.
Edited by: Rana Taha
