Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to strengthen ties with China, telling President Xi Jinping that New Delhi is committed to building relations “based on mutual respect, trust, and sensitivity.”
Modi, visiting China for the first time in seven years to attend a two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, said that a “climate of peace and stability” has returned to the Himalayan border, where deadly clashes in 2020 had severely strained bilateral cooperation. He also revealed that the two sides had reached a new agreement on border management, though details were not disclosed.
The meeting came just five days after Washington raised tariffs on Indian goods to 50 percent in response to New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian oil. Analysts suggest that both Xi and Modi are seeking to build a united front against growing Western pressure.
The two leaders had last met in Russia in 2023. Modi is now seeking to accelerate de-escalation with Beijing, not only to stabilize regional relations but also to shield India from U.S. economic pressure. He announced that direct flights between India and China, suspended since 2020, are set to resume soon.
China has recently allowed Indian pilgrims to visit Buddhist sites in Tibet, signaling a cautious thaw in ties. Meanwhile, the U.S., which for decades cultivated closer relations with India to counterbalance China, now faces a shifting regional dynamic as New Delhi recalibrates its foreign policy.
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