AMN / New Delhi
China’s Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, said on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Tianjin for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit will inject new momentum into India–China relations and mark an important milestone for the regional grouping.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Chintan Research Foundation in New Delhi, Xu noted that both countries are working actively through a joint working group to ensure the success of the visit. “From our side, we attach great importance to this visit. It will be a very successful one,” he told reporters.
Diplomatic Engagements Ahead of the Summit
Xu recalled that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had recently visited New Delhi, carrying a personal message and invitation from President Xi Jinping to Prime Minister Modi for the two-day summit beginning August 31.
During that visit, Prime Minister Modi reiterated the importance of peace and tranquillity on the border and reaffirmed India’s commitment to pursuing a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question.
Breakthrough in Boundary Dialogue
The Ambassador also highlighted the 24th round of the Special Representatives’ dialogue on the boundary issue, held recently between India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Wang Yi. He described the outcome as a “very important 10-point consensus,” which includes setting up:
- An expert working group to identify possible early harvests for boundary delimitation in select sectors.
- A management group to focus on advanced mechanisms for effective handling of border areas.
Xu said the dialogue framework reflects both sides’ intent to manage disputes with maturity and maintain stability along the frontier.
‘Partners, Not Rivals’
Addressing the gathering titled “SCO Summit 2025 – Resetting India-China Ties”, attended by foreign policy experts and former senior officials including Gen. (Retd.) M.M. Naravane, Xu emphasised that India and China should be seen as partners, not rivals.
“The world is in a turbulent period. The evolving international order makes China–India relations increasingly important. Our cooperation benefits both nations. We are important neighbours, major developing countries, and both are at a critical stage of national rejuvenation,” he said.
People-to-People Engagement
Underscoring the importance of cultural and people-to-people exchanges, Xu welcomed the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. He expressed China’s willingness to work with India in deepening citizen-level ties, saying people of both countries should be able to visit each other “like relatives.”
The SCO Summit comes at a sensitive juncture for India–China relations, with border tensions remaining unresolved despite multiple rounds of military and diplomatic talks. Yet, both sides appear keen to stabilise ties by advancing cooperation in multilateral forums such as the SCO, BRICS, and G20.
Observers say Modi’s presence in Tianjin could set the tone for recalibrating ties with Beijing, particularly if progress is made on the boundary talks and trade-related issues.