In a significant diplomatic outreach, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong emphasised that India and China must work as cooperative partners rather than rivals and ensure that lingering border issues do not overshadow the broader trajectory of bilateral relations.

His remarks came in the aftermath of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders’ summit in Tianjin.

Taking to social media, Ambassador Xu reiterated the message conveyed by President Xi Jinping to Prime Minister Modi, highlighting that “China and India are cooperation partners, not rivals,” and stressing that the two countries should regard each other as “development opportunities rather than threats.” He further asserted that sustained progress in bilateral ties is possible “as long as the two countries stick to this overarching direction.”

The envoy underscored the symbolic importance of 2025, marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of China-India diplomatic relations. He urged both nations to view their partnership with a “strategic and long-term perspective,” pointing out that deeper mutual trust, broader exchanges, and win-win cooperation would pave the way for strengthened ties. Xu outlined the need for enhanced strategic communication, mutual understanding of core concerns, and multilateral cooperation to safeguard shared interests at the regional and global level.

Perhaps most significantly, Xu reiterated China’s stance that the two Asian neighbours should “work together to ensure peace and tranquillity in their border regions” and “not let the border issue define overall relations.”

This statement holds weight against the backdrop of ongoing tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), where both countries have previously witnessed heightened military stand-offs. By framing the relationship in cooperative rather than confrontational terms, Beijing appears to be signalling a willingness to de-emphasise disputes in favour of broader collaborative engagement.

The bilateral meeting between PM Modi and President Xi, their first since the BRICS Summit at Kazan, Russia in 2024, was closely watched as an indicator of where ties between the world’s two most populous nations are headed.

Following their discussion, Prime Minister Modi attended the official SCO reception hosted by Xi Jinping at the Tianjin Meijiang International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The reception underlined themes of regional unity, with Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan extending a warm welcome to attending leaders, including Modi, before a symbolic group photograph.

The gathering also saw the participation of key global figures such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, accompanied by top members of his delegation including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, Deputy Chief of Staff Maxim Oreshkin, Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov, and Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, as reported by the Russian news agency TASS.

Xu Feihong’s remarks serve as a diplomatic overture from Beijing, echoing Xi Jinping’s message to PM Modi, and suggest a Chinese desire to stabilise and possibly reset ties with New Delhi. Whether this sentiment translates into measurable progress in reducing border tensions or expanding cooperation in multilateral forums remains to be seen, but the latest developments highlight an attempt by both sides to manage differences without allowing disputes to dominate the broader bilateral agenda.

Based On ANI Report