Modi and Xi express commitment to fair, reasonable resolution of India-China boundary issue

“We are development partners, not rivals. Let’s not turn differences into disputes”

- BY S VENKAT NARAYAN

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday (August 31, 2025) vowed to work towards a “fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable” resolution of the festering boundary issue between their countries, and pledged to work towards stabilising global trade.

In their wide-ranging talks on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the Chinese city of Tianjin, Modi and Xi agreed that the two countries are development partners and not rivals, noting that differences between the two sides should not turn into disputes.

The two leaders also recognised the role of their economies to stabilise world trade, signalling a policy approach that came against the backdrop of economic turbulence triggered by Washington’s tariff tussle.

Modi noted that India and China both pursue strategic autonomy, and their relations should not be seen through a third country lens, an Indian readout of their meeting said.

It said the two leaders deemed it necessary to expand common ground on bilateral, regional, and global issues and challenges, like terrorism and fair trade in multilateral platforms.

Both leaders welcomed the positive momentum and steady progress in bilateral relations since their last meeting in Kazan, Russia, in October last year, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in the readout.

“They reaffirmed that the two countries were development partners and not rivals, and that their differences should not turn into disputes,” it said.

The Prime Minister underlined the importance of peace and tranquility along the 3,488km-long border for the continued development of bilateral relations.