On the afternoon of August 31, President Xi Jinping met at the Tianjin Guest House with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit 2025.

President Xi pointed out that the successful meeting we had in Kazan last year enabled the China-India relations to have a reset and start anew, and bilateral exchanges and cooperation have since made new progress. 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. The two countries shoulder the crucial responsibility of improving the well-being of our two peoples, promoting the solidarity and rejuvenation of developing countries, and advancing the progress of human society. It should be the right choice for China and India to be good-neighborly friends and partners that help each other succeed, and have the dragon and the elephant dance together.

President Xi stressed that this year marks the 75th anniversary of China-India diplomatic ties. The two sides should view and handle the relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective, pursue a further improvement of ties from the Tianjin meeting onward, and work for its sustained, sound and steady development. First, the two sides should strengthen strategic communication and 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. Second, the two sides should expand exchanges and cooperation to achieve mutual benefit and win-win. As China and India are both at a crucial stage of development and rejuvenation, both should focus on development, which is the biggest common denominator of our two countries, and promote mutual support, mutual complementarity, and mutual success. Third, the two sides should accommodate each other’s concerns and get along in peace and harmony. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence initiated by the older generation of Chinese and Indian leaders over 70 years ago need to be cherished and upheld. The two sides should combine our strength to maintain peace and tranquility in the border regions, and not allow the boundary question to define the overall China-India relations. Fourth, the two sides should strengthen multilateral coordination to safeguard our shared interests. We should step up to shoulder our responsibility for history, uphold multilateralism, strengthen communication and coordination on major international and regional issues, defend international fairness and justice, 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.

Prime Minister Modi said that his meeting with President Xi in Kazan pointed the direction for the development of India-China relations. 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. India and China are partners, not rivals. Our consensus far outweighs our disagreement. 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. India is prepared to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question with China. 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. 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. Prime Minister Modi congratulated China on a successful SCO presidency and wished the SCO Tianjin Summit a full success.

Cai Qi, Wang Yi, and Chen Min’er, among others, were present at the meeting.