Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held key bilateral talks and reaffirmed that the two neighbours were "development partners and not rivals", New Delhi said after the meeting of the two leaders on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China's Tianjin.
In an official statement on the meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs said the two leaders welcomed the "positive momentum and steady progress" in bilateral relations since their last meeting in Russia's Kazan in October 2024.
They reaffirmed that the "differences" between India and China "should not turn into disputes".
"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," the MEA statement read.
PM @narendramodi met President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China.
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) August 31, 2025
The two leaders reviewed the progress of 🇮🇳-🇨🇳 bilateral relations since their meeting in Kazan last year. Stable and amicable ties between India and China are important for our… pic.twitter.com/bP8JRugdjM
Prime Minister Modi also underlined the "importance of peace and tranquillity" in the border areas for the continued development of bilateral relations.
The two leaders spoke about the successful disengagement last year and the maintenance of peace and tranquillity along the border areas since then.
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The relations between India and China had nosedived following the deadly clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in June 2020. The face-off effectively ended following the completion of the disengagement process from the last two friction points of Demchok and Depsang under an agreement finalised in October 2024.
During the meeting, PM Modi and Mr Xi also expressed commitment to a "fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable" resolution of the boundary question.
They also noted the need to strengthen people-to-people ties through direct flights and visa facilitation, building on the resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra and tourist visa.
"On economic and trade relations, they recognised the role of their two economies to stabilise world trade. They underlined the need to proceed from a political and strategic direction to expand bilateral trade and investment ties and reduce trade deficit," the MEA said.
The remarks came amid a downturn in India-US ties triggered by President Donald Trump's 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, and Beijing and Washington extending a truce on most reciprocal duties to November 10 as they continue trade talks.
Prime Minister Modi 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," the statement read.
PM Modi also invited Mr Xi to the BRICS Summit in India next year.
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