China Urges India Ties Without ‘Backsliding’
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called on India and China to build on the recent improvement in bilateral relations and prevent ties from slipping backwards, following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in New Delhi.
Modi-Xi Talks Focus on India-China Partnership
Wang said Modi and Xi reached what he described as an important consensus that India and China should view each other as partners rather than rivals.
The two leaders met during Xi’s visit to New Delhi for the BRICS Summit. According to Wang, their discussions covered strategic and long-term issues affecting bilateral relations, with both sides agreeing on the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity along the border.
China has described the improvement in relations as hard-earned and has urged both countries to translate agreements reached at the leadership level into concrete action.
China Calls for Ties Without Backsliding
Wang said India-China relations had gradually emerged from a difficult period, moving from a restart towards broader improvement.
He called for bilateral ties to advance steadily “without stagnation or backsliding”, while political trust, economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges continue to recover.
Relations deteriorated sharply following the 2020 military confrontation in eastern Ladakh. A disengagement agreement in 2024 subsequently helped begin a cautious diplomatic thaw.
Border Peace Remains Central to Relations
India has consistently maintained that peace and stability along the Line of Actual Control are essential for normal bilateral relations.
Recent India-China boundary talks have focused on maintaining border stability, improving communication mechanisms and continuing negotiations towards a mutually acceptable settlement.
Both sides have also signalled interest in expanding trade, diplomatic exchanges and cooperation through BRICS and other multilateral platforms as relations gradually stabilise.
