China and India Reach Consensus on Partnership Following Modi-Xi Meeting

Chinese and Indian leaders reached a consensus that the two nations should be partners during a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi. According to China's foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, Beijing values Prime Minister Modi's statements regarding India's independent foreign policy and strategic autonomy. Modi stated that India's relations with China are not affected by third parties and that India will not allow any force to engage in anti China activities on its territory.

President Xi suggested that the two countries should support each other's development and draw on their respective strengths despite different national realities. The Chinese side emphasized the need for an objective and rational strategic perception to promote steady development. Meanwhile, India's ministry of external affairs stated that maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas is the essential basis for improving ties. Prime Minister Modi highlighted that both sides must be guided by mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest.

The meeting occurred as the two nations work toward a fair and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question. This follows an October 2024 understanding to disengage troops from friction points in the Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control, which ended a standoff lasting more than four years. However, reports of troop face offs in the Taksing region of Arunachal Pradesh in July and August have provided a backdrop of fresh tension.