Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have declared a new phase of “deepening trust” between their countries after years of strained ties marked by a border standoff.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin Modi’s first visit to China in seven years. Xi urged that China and India act as “partners, not rivals,” while Modi described the current climate as one of “peace and stability.
The summit, attended by over 20 world leaders, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, has been overshadowed by escalating trade disputes with the United States. Washington has imposed heavy tariffs on Indian exports over Delhi’s continued oil trade with Moscow, while Putin faces fresh sanction threats linked to the war in Ukraine.
Amid these tensions, Modi appears to be drawing closer to Xi, emphasizing cooperation between the world’s two most populous nations and most significant emerging economies. He announced the resumption of flights between India and China, suspended since deadly Himalayan border clashes in 2020, though no date was given. While the SCO summit is seen as mainly symbolic, it provides a platform for member states, which include Russia, Pakistan, and Iran, alongside 16 partners and observers, to express shared concerns and common interests.
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