Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that China and India are cooperation partners, not rivals, and that the two countries are each other's development opportunities rather than threats.
The two leaders met in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 scheduled for Sunday and Monday.
Xi recalled last year's successful meeting with Modi in Kazan, which enabled the China-India relations to have a reset and start anew, saying that the exchanges and cooperation between the two countries have since made new progress.
Noting that China and India are two major ancient civilizations of the East, the two most populous countries in the world, and important members of the Global South, Xi said that the two countries shoulder the crucial responsibility of improving the well-being of the two peoples, promoting the solidarity and rejuvenation of developing countries, and advancing the progress of human society.
Xi said that China and India should become neighbors on good terms and partners helping each other succeed. A "cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant" should be the right choice for the two countries, he said.
Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of China-India diplomatic relations, Xi said the two countries need to view and handle bilateral ties from a strategic and long-term perspective.
He called on the two countries to strengthen strategic communication to deepen mutual trust.
As long as both countries keep to the overarching direction of being each other's cooperation partner instead of rival, and seeing each other as development opportunity instead of threat, the specific matters in the relationship will fall into place and there will be steady and sustained progress in bilateral ties, Xi said.
The two countries should expand exchanges and win-win cooperation, he stressed.
As China and India are both at a crucial stage of development and rejuvenation, they should focus on development, the biggest common denominator of the two countries, and promote mutual support, mutual complementarity, and mutual success, he added.
Xi called on the two sides to heed each other's concerns to seek harmonious coexistence, adding that the two Asian neighbors should work together to ensure peace and tranquility in their border regions, and should not let the border issue define the overall China-India relations.
Both China and India should enhance multilateral collaboration to safeguard common interests, Xi said.
The two sides should step up to shoulder the responsibility for history, uphold multilateralism, strengthen communication and coordination on major international and regional issues, and defend international fairness and justice, he stressed.
He called on the two countries to work together for a multipolar world and greater democracy in international relations, and make due contributions to peace and prosperity in Asia and the wider world.
For his part, Modi said that his meeting with President Xi in Kazan pointed the direction for the development of India-China relations, adding that the relationship is back on a positive trajectory, peace and stability in the border regions have been maintained, and direct flights are about to be resumed.
Such progress benefits not only the people of India and China, but also the whole world, he added.
Noting that India and China are partners, not rivals, and consensus far outweighs disagreement, Modi said that India is ready to view and develop the bilateral ties from a long-term perspective.
Given the great uncertainties in the world economy, it is vital for India and China to strengthen cooperation as important economies of the world, he said.
India stands ready to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question with China, he added.
Noting that both India and China pursue strategic autonomy and an independent foreign policy, and the bilateral relationship is not subject to the influence of any third party, Modi said that India-China cooperation will make the 21st century a genuine Asian century, and the two sides joining hands will increase the strength of multilateralism in international affairs.
He congratulated China on a successful SCO presidency and wished the SCO Tianjin Summit a full success.
China and India are cooperation partners, not rivals: Xi
China and India are cooperation partners, not rivals: Xi
China and India are cooperation partners, not rivals: Xi
