Modi and Xi 'expressed commitment' to resolving border issue, strengthening ties

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to work together towards resolving their countries' contested border, New Delhi's foreign ministry said on Saturday (Sep 12) after the leaders met.

Xi's visit to New Delhi, to attend the 11-nation member BRICS summit, is being closely watched because it is his first to neighbouring India since 2019, and the biggest step yet in a cautious thaw between the nuclear-armed rivals.

BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, the group’s founding countries, along with South Africa.

"Although our two countries are different in many respects, they are fully capable of complementing each other's strengths, supporting one another, achieving mutual success and advancing together," Xi said as he met Modi, in a video released from New Delhi.

India's foreign ministry said in a statement after the meeting that "the two leaders expressed commitment to a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question".

Modi "underlined the need for both sides to observe existing agreements and understandings on border related issues", it added.

In a separate statement, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday said both sides should “stay committed to advancing bilateral relations and resolving the boundary question, seek parallel, mutually reinforcing progress, and maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas”.

The ministry said both Xi and Modi had a “sincere and in-depth exchange of views and reached the important consensus that China and India should be partners”.

Xi pointed out that China approaches its relations with India from a “strategic and long-term perspective”.

“Over the past two years, I have met with Prime Minister Modi twice, guiding the bilateral relations from starting afresh to making further improvements,” Xi said.

The Chinese leader is visiting six years after a deadly military clash along the disputed border.

Ties have since gradually improved through restored flights, visas and high-level contacts.

The underlying territorial dispute remains unresolved, and both sides retain heavy military deployments along their roughly 3,500 km high-altitude border along Tibet.

In its statement, the Chinese foreign ministry said both countries have different national realities, and that they should draw on each other’s strengths, support each other and help each other succeed.

It added that both countries shoulder “important responsibilities” in the light of the “changing and turbulent international landscape”.

"Differences should not become disputes," New Delhi's foreign ministry said, in a statement.

It said that Modi had "highlighted that both sides must be guided by three mutuals - mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest".

Meanwhile, the Chinese foreign ministry said India has an “independent” foreign policy, and “developing relations with China is not affected by any third party”.

“India’s policy and position on issues relating to Taiwan and Tibet remain unchanged, and it will not allow any force to engage in anti-China activities on its territory.”

“PARTNERS RATHER THAN RIVALS”

According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Xi said: “China and India are partners rather than rivals, and development opportunities rather than threats to each other.”

He said it was important to expand cooperation in “people-to-people exchanges, direct flights and other areas to improve the public perception” of India-China relations.

Xi also called on both China and India to support each other’s BRICS chairship, strengthen coordination in the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the G20, and “work together to address global challenges, and unequivocally uphold international fairness and justice”.

Trade was another focus of the meeting.

China is now India's largest trading partner, with bilateral goods trade reaching US$151 billion in the 2025 to 2026 financial year, according to Indian government data.

China’s foreign ministry said “institutional exchanges between the two countries have gradually resumed, the cooperation list has continued to lengthen, and the bilateral trade volume has hit a new high”.

"Both sides should ... work hand-in-hand to promote high-quality major financial cooperation, advocate an equal and sustainable global order, and foster an economic globalisation that is open and inclusive," Xi said.

But the relationship is heavily tilted towards Beijing. India imported US$131 billion of goods from China, while exports were US$19 billion, leaving a record US$112 billion trade deficit.

The two leaders "underlined the need to address each other's concerns, including structural trade imbalance and supply chain issues, and facilitation of meaningful and predictable market access", the Indian foreign ministry statement said.

China’s foreign affairs ministry said India will “fully support” China’s BRICS chairmanship next year.

During the summit, Xi said BRICS should be a “pioneer in upholding peace and stability”.

“We should act on the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, oppose the Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, and oppose violation of other countries’ sovereignty or interference in other countries’ internal affairs,” Xi said.

“China will work with fellow BRICS members to play a due role in bringing peace and tranquility to the Middle East.”