China Says Stronger India Ties Are in the Interest of Both Nations

Interest of Both Nations: China says improving ties with India is in both countries’ interests and the two sides have been moving to stabilise relations since President Xi Jinping met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024.

“The improvement of Sino-Indian relations is a common interest for both countries, as well as the result of joint efforts by both sides,” China’s Foreign Ministry said on August 29 in a written response to questions.

There was no “secret diplomacy” between the two countries, only “normal communication and interaction”.

Bloomberg News reported on August 28 that Beijing reached out to New Delhi in March to sound out the possibility of improving ties.

Mr Xi wrote to his Indian counterpart Droupadi Murmu expressing concern about any US deals that would harm China’s interests, an official in New Delhi said.

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When asked about the letter, the spokesman’s office of China’s Foreign Ministry said “as far as I learnt, the content of the so-called letter you mentioned doesn’t exist at all”.

“The competent authorities of China and India have earnestly implemented the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, promoted the resumption of institutional dialogue and conducted normal exchanges,” it added.

The rapprochement between Beijing and New Delhi has accelerated since then, with the two sides moving to end a border standoff and Mr Modi making his first trip to China in seven years this weekend.

Enemy of my enemy

Both countries have been hurt by President Donald Trump’s trade war, with India slapped with 50% tariffs on its exports to the US this week.

“China stands ready to work with India to view and handle China-India relations from a strategic and long-term perspective,” the country’s Foreign Ministry said in its statement.

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Mr Modi is expected to meet Mr Xi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin on August 31-September 1.

The Indian Prime Minister said he “remains committed to working with the SCO members to address shared challenges and deepen regional cooperation”, according to a statement on August 28.

He will also meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during the SCO summit.

In an editorial on August 29, state-run tabloid Global Times said the warming of ties between the two Asian nations made sense and was related to “profound changes in the global geopolitical landscape”.

“Today, as the ‘twin engines’ of Asia’s economic growth, key representatives of the Global South and members of the SCO, Brics and the G-20, China and India share a mission to push the international order towards greater democracy and fairness,” the newspaper said. BLOOMBERG

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