- By Soumyaroop Mukherjee
- Sun, 31 Aug 2025 06:47 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
PM Modi-Xi Jinping Meet 2025: After the crucial meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the bilateral relations between India and China should not be seen from the point of view of a ‘third country’. The statement comes in the backdrop of US President Donald Trump waging a tariff war against India, China and other nations.
A statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) after the India-China talks underlined the “strategic autonomy” of the Asian nations. “Prime Minister noted that India and China both pursue strategic autonomy, and their relations should not be seen through a third country lens. The two leaders deemed it necessary to expand common ground on bilateral, regional, and global issues and challenges, like terrorism and fair trade in multilateral platforms,” it said.
PM Modi and Xi Jinping met each other on the sidelines of the ongoing SCO meeting in Tianjin on August 31.
The Seven-Year Itch
PM Modi’s recent trips to Japan and China have resumed India’s diplomacy with the eastern part of the world. This comes at a critical juncture, with President Trump continuing to single out India for buying Russian oil and other acts he does not agree with.
PM Modi’s visit to China in particular is seen as a major development given that it is the first visit of an Indian prime minister after a seven-year gap. Both nations have been at a diplomatic standstill as relations became frosty after the clash between the Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwa region.
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On Sunday, both leaders agreed to the fact that both countries can help stabilise the global economic order.
“Both leaders welcomed the positive momentum and steady progress in bilateral relations since their last meeting in Kazan (Russia) in October 2024. They reaffirmed that the two countries were development partners and not rivals, and that their differences should not turn into disputes,” the MEA statement read.
“A stable relationship and cooperation between India and China and their 2.8 billion people on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interest, and mutual sensitivity are necessary for the growth and development of the two countries, as well as for a multipolar world and a multi-polar Asia befitting the trends of the 21st century,” it added.
The MEA statement also addressed the historic border conflict, stating that peace and tranquility are necessary for the prosperity of both countries. Currently, both India and China have disengaged themselves in the border areas from the previous standoff. Additionally, people-to-people ties with China through the issuance of Visas and the resumption of the Mansarovar Yatra have helped both nations to come close diplomatically.
