Chinese leader Xi Jinping told India’s Narendra Modi that the “right choice” is for their countries to be friends and partners, as the two most populous nations in the world explore closer ties amid shared tensions with the United States.
The highly anticipated meeting between Xi and Modi on Sunday, on the sidelines of a regional summit in Tianjin, marks the Indian leader’s first visit to China in seven years. The two shook hands and posed for cameras ahead of their discussions, which come as both countries face U.S. tariffs and Western scrutiny over their relations with Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, reports CNN.
“The world today is undergoing transformations that occur once in a century,” Xi told Modi, who was seated across from him, with both leaders accompanied by their officials. “The international situation is both fluid and chaotic,” he added in his opening remarks.
“It is the right choice for both sides to be friends with good neighborly and friendly relations, partners who help each other succeed, and for the dragon and the elephant to dance together,” Xi said, referencing the traditional symbols of the two countries.
Modi thanked Xi for the invitation to China and highlighted the warming of bilateral ties, including a reduction of tensions along their contested Himalayan border, where the two nations clashed violently in 2020.
“We are committed to advancing our relationship based on trust and mutual respect,” Modi said.
Modi is in China for a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional security bloc backed by Beijing and Moscow, which has emerged as a cornerstone in Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to rebalance global power in their favor.
