President Xi calls India and China ‘friends and partners'
Chinese President Xi Jinping has described China and India as “good neighbours, friends and partners,” signalling continued efforts to stabilise ties between Asia’s two largest nations despite lingering border tensions.
In a message congratulating Indian President Droupadi Murmu on India’s Republic Day, Xi said relations between Beijing and New Delhi had shown steady improvement over the past year, according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency. He noted that healthier China-India ties are important not only for the two countries but also for global peace, stability and economic prosperity.
Xi reiterated China’s long-held position that cooperation and partnership are the right path forward for both sides. Using a familiar metaphor, he referred to China and India as the “dragon and the elephant dancing together,” underscoring the potential of the two major economies working in tandem.
He said Beijing hopes to expand exchanges, deepen cooperation and properly manage differences so that relations can develop in a stable and constructive manner.
India and China share a roughly 3,800-kilometre border that has remained disputed since the 1950s. Relations deteriorated sharply after a deadly clash in eastern Ladakh in 2020, when soldiers from both sides were killed in hand-to-hand fighting, prompting a heavy military buildup along the Himalayan frontier.
Since last year, however, the two countries have taken cautious steps to improve ties through high-level diplomatic engagements, military talks and confidence-building measures. Direct flights were restored in 2025, and trade and investment links have expanded, partly as both countries navigate shifting global dynamics and an increasingly uncertain international environment.
While challenges remain, Xi’s message reflects renewed diplomatic outreach aimed at preventing further confrontation and rebuilding trust between the two neighbours.
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