Modi, Xi agree to work on resolving border dispute — SkimNews
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- Modi and Xi met in New Delhi on September 12 on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, with Xi calling the two nations "partners rather than rivals" and noting this was his first India visit since 2019.
- Both leaders expressed commitment to a "fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question," while India underscored the need to observe existing border agreements; heavy military deployments remain along the roughly 3,500 km high-altitude frontier.
- Bilateral goods trade reached US$151 billion in the 2025-26 financial year, but India runs a record US$112 billion trade deficit, importing $131 billion from China while exporting just $19 billion.
- Xi Jinping called for expanding people-to-people exchanges and direct flights to improve public perception of relations, while India's foreign ministry stressed "mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest."
- India pledged to "fully support" China's BRICS chairmanship next year, and both leaders agreed to strengthen coordination in the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the G20.
- Ties have gradually improved since a deadly border clash six years ago through restored flights, visas and high-level contacts, but analyst Anand P Krishnan of Shiv Nadar University told CNA that strategic mistrust and competition persist.
Why it matters: The diplomatic thaw is real but lopsided: China is now India's largest trading partner at $151 billion, yet the relationship tilts heavily toward Beijing with a record $112 billion deficit, meaning India needs the border de-escalation and supply-chain concessions it flagged but has not yet secured.
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