Vital for India and China to be friends and good neighbours: Chinese President Xi Jinping

By R Anil Kumar

• Vital for elephant, dragon to come together’: Xi Jinping tells PM Modi at meet in China

• China-India diplomatic relations-both nations need to handle relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective: Xi Jinping.

• India committed to taking forward its ties with China based on mutual trust, respect and sensitivity: PM Modi

• Welfare of 2.8 billion people is linked to bilateral cooperation between India and China: PM Modi

Tianjin, China: Chinese President Xi Jinping said it is important for the “dragon and the elephant to come together”.

In his opening remarks during delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of SCO Summit in China, President Xi Jinping said it is vital for India and China to be friends and good neighbours.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on Sunday on the sidelines of SCO Summit in China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said it is important for the “dragon and the elephant to come together”.

“The World is going towards transformation. China and India are two of the most civilizational countries. We are the world’s two most populous countries and part of the Global South… It is vital to be friends, a good neighbour, and the Dragon and the Elephant to come together…,” Xi Jinping said.

Xi Jinping highlighted that this year marks the 75th anniversary of China-India diplomatic relations, saying that both nations need to handle relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective.

“We must also step up to our historic responsibilities to uphold multilateralism, a multipolar world, and more democracy in international institutions and work together for peace and prosperity in Asia and around the world,” Xi Jinping said.

PM Modi, in his opening remarks during meeting with Xi Jinping, said India is committed to taking forward its ties with China based on mutual trust, respect and sensitivity.

In the televised opening remarks, PM Modi said the welfare of 2.8 billion people is linked to bilateral cooperation between India and China.

The prime minister noted that there is peace and stability along the border following last year’s disengagement process, adding that direct flights between the two countries are being resumed.

The prime minister also made a mention of the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in China on Saturday to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin.

This is PM Modi’s first visit to China in seven years, which have seen ties between the two neighbouring countries deteriorating over border issues that led to a deadly clash at the Galwan valley along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in 2020.

It has been almost one year since the two leaders met, the previous meeting being in October last year, after which India and China had announced a breakthrough in negotiations to resolve their military standoff along the LAC.