&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Dragon and elephant to come together...': Xi Jinping tells PM Modi why India-China should be 'friends'")
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin on Sunday (Aug 31). During the bilateral meeting, both leaders underlined the importance of India-China ties amid global uncertainty. While PM Modi said trust, respect and sensitivity are key for the relationship and a strong bond between the two nations would bring ‘welfare for humanity’, the Chinese president said that both countries should work together to promote the ‘progress of human society.’ Both leaders agreed that India and China are ‘the world’s most civilisational nations’ and they can play a role in the development of the Global South. Bilaterally, Indian and Chinese leaders agreed to continue peace at the border and the resumption of trade and travel.
What Chinese Premier Xi Jinping said during the bilateral meeting?
During the bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tianjin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China and India are two ancient civilisations in the East, the world's two most populous countries, and important members of the Global South. He highlighted that it is important for both countries to take the responsibility for well well-being of their people as well as promote the progress of the human society. He also said that it is “the right choice” for both countries to be “friends.”
“We both shoulder the historical responsibility of improving the well-being of our two peoples, promoting the solidarity and rejuvenation of developing countries, and promoting the progress of human society. It is the right choice for both countries to be friends who have good neighbourly and amicable ties, partners who enable each other's success, and to have the dragon and the elephant come together,” Chinese President Jinping said.
Meanwhile, in his statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised that "vishwas, samman aur samvedanshilta" (trust, respect and sensitivity) are key for a successful India-China relationship. He also underlined the importance of cooperation between the two countries and congratulated the Chinese Premier on China’s successful SCO chairmanship. He also added that their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan was “very fruitful” and “gave a positive direction” to the relations.
Read more | 'Welfare of entire humanity': PM Modi explains importance of India-China ties in meeting with Xi Jinping
