PM Modi Urges Sensitivity To India’s Core Issues In Talks With Xi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised India’s concerns and stressed the importance of sensitivity to each other’s core issues during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday. The MEA said the discussions covered several matters concerning bilateral ties as the two countries seek to build greater stability in their relationship.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said both sides need to remain sensitive to each other’s core concerns and follow the principle of the “three mutuals” — mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity. “Several matters came up during the discussions,” Jaiswal said, adding that Modi specifically referred to India’s concerns during the bilateral meeting.

The Indian statement came a day after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Modi and Xi had agreed that China and India should be “partners, not rivals”. Wang described this as the most important consensus from the meeting and said the two leaders had held a candid and in-depth exchange on strategic, long-term and directional issues affecting bilateral relations.

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According to Wang, the two countries agreed to maintain peace and tranquillity along their border and support each other as they take over the rotating BRICS chairmanships. China is scheduled to assume the BRICS chair for 2027. Wang also said the two sides agreed to strengthen political trust, properly manage differences and ensure that dialogue and cooperation remain the dominant trend in bilateral relations.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said ties between Beijing and New Delhi had gradually moved away from a low point, describing the relationship as progressing from a “restart” towards a “renewed elevation”. It pointed to record trade levels and expanding people-to-people exchanges as signs of improving engagement between the two countries. Wang also said China and India could draw on each other’s strengths, support one another and pursue common development.

Wang further said Modi conveyed India’s readiness to be a partner rather than an adversary and viewed China’s development as an opportunity rather than a challenge. He also quoted Modi as saying India’s relationship with China was independent of third-party influence and that New Delhi would not allow anti-China activities on its territory. Modi, according to Wang, also reaffirmed India’s willingness to pursue high-level exchanges, stronger strategic communication and expanded people-to-people ties.

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