Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Indian President Droupadi Murmu on Republic Day and described China and India as "good neighbours, friends and partners," Xinhua reported. He said ties have improved over the past year and are important for global peace and prosperity, urging expanded exchanges and cooperation. The piece notes the two countries share a disputed 3,800 km border and recalls the deadly 2020 clash; recent high-level visits and resumed direct flights in 2025 have helped ease tensions.
Xi Calls India And China 'Good Neighbours, Friends And Partners,' Urges Deeper Cooperation
FILE PHOTO: Chinese President Xi Jinping and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia October 23, 2024. China Daily via REUTERS /File Photo
HONG KONG, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday described China and India as "good neighbours, friends and partners" as he sent Republic Day greetings to Indian President Droupadi Murmu, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Xi said bilateral ties had "continued to improve and develop" over the past year and called them of "great significance for maintaining and promoting world peace and prosperity," according to Xinhua. He reiterated that choosing to be "good neighbours, friends and partners" is the correct path for both countries.
"China and India are like the dragon and the elephant dancing together," Xi said, an image Xinhua used to characterise the relationship.
Xi urged both sides to expand exchanges and cooperation while addressing each other's concerns to promote healthy and stable relations.
Border Tensions and Recent Thaw
The two nuclear-armed neighbours share a poorly demarcated 3,800 km (2,400-mile) border that has been disputed since the 1950s. Relations were badly strained after a 2020 confrontation in which 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers died in hand-to-hand fighting, prompting heavy militarisation along the Himalayan frontier.
Officials on both sides began restoring ties last year following a series of high-level bilateral visits. Direct flights between Beijing and New Delhi resumed in 2025, and both countries have seen increased trade and investment flows amid a more confrontational global backdrop under U.S. President Donald Trump, Reuters noted.
While Xi's remarks signal a desire to stabilise relations, substantive progress will depend on sustained diplomatic engagement and concrete steps to resolve outstanding border issues.
(Reporting by the Beijing newsroom; Writing by Farah Master; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Thomas Derpinghaus)
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