India China Relations

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

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Peace and tranquility at the border is like an "insurance policy" for India-China ties and Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed it very clearly to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday, foreign secretary Vikram Misri said.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanges a handshake with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Official Reception for Heads of States and Heads of Governments at the SCO Summit, in Tianjin, China, August 31, 2025. Photograph: Narendra Modi Photo Gallery/ANI Photo

India's assertion came after Xi said that the border issue should not define the overall China-India relations. PM Modi and President Xi held wide-ranging talks earlier in the day with a focus on rebuilding the bilateral ties that came under severe strain following the over four-year border standoff in eastern Ladakh that ended in October last year. In the meeting Modi underlined the importance of peace and tranquility on the border areas for continued development of bilateral relations.
on the border areas for continued and smooth development of bilateral relations," he said.

"There was an understanding on the need to maintain peace on the borders using the existing mechanisms and avoid disturbances to the overall relationship going forward," he added. The foreign secretary said Modi and Xi also expressed a commitment to "a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question, proceeding from the political perspective of their overall bilateral relations and in the long-term interests of the two peoples."
In the last few months, both sides have initiated a series of measures to reset their ties that came under severe strain following the deadly clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in June 2020.
To a question on when the de-escalation will take place along the border, Misri said the discussion on it will take place in the designated mechanisms. Misri said Modi also mentioned the challenge of cross-border terrorism and pitched for extending support to each other to combat it. "Cross-border terrorism was mentioned by the prime minister as a priority. And, I would add that he did underline the fact that this is something that impacts both India and China," he said. "And, it's important therefore that we extend understanding and extend support to each other as both of us combat cross-border terrorism." "And I would in fact like to say that we have received the understanding and cooperation of China as we have dealt with the issue of cross-border terrorism in the context of the ongoing SCO summit," he said.
Misri said President Xi made four suggestions to further upgrade bilateral ties. "The suggestions are namely to strengthen strategic communication and deepen mutual trust; to expand exchanges and cooperation to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, to accommodate each other's concerns, and finally to strengthen multilateral cooperation to safeguard common interests," he said. "All of these were responded to positively by Prime Minister Modi," Misri added.
The foreign secretary said the two leaders were of the view that differences between India and China should not be allowed to be turned into disputes.
Asked about Xi's remarks, Misri said at a media briefing that India has been consistently maintaining that peace and tranquility at the frontier is essential for the overall development of the relations. "From the very beginning, we have maintained at various levels that the situation on the boundary will inevitably have some impact on bilateral relations," the foreign secretary said at a media briefing. "And that is precisely why the most important kind of 'insurance policy' for our bilateral ties is to maintain peace and tranquility on the boundary." "So today, the prime minister himself also conveyed this very clearly to President Xi, and we will continue to maintain this position," Misri added. Misri said the boundary issue figured in the Modi-Xi discussions, and both leaders took note of the successful disengagement of troops last year and the maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border regions since then. "In voicing certain principles related to this issue, the prime minister underlined the need for peace and tranquility

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday flagged concerns over cross-border terrorism in his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and pitched for cooperation between India and China to combat the menace, as both countries are its victims.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin, China, August 31, 2025. Photograph: DPR PMO/ANI Photo

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, at a media briefing, said the issue of cross-border terrorism was mentioned by PM Modi as a "priority."

Modi and Xi held wide-ranging talks with a focus on rebuilding the bilateral relations that came under severe strain following the over four-year border standoff in eastern Ladakh that ended in October last year.
"Cross-border terrorism was mentioned by the prime minister as a priority. And, I would add that he did underline the fact that this is something that impacts both India and China."

"And, it's important, therefore, that we extend understanding and extend support to each other as both of us combat cross-border terrorism," he said.

"I would in fact like to say that we have received the understanding and cooperation of China as we have dealt with the issue of cross-border terrorism in the context of the ongoing SCO summit," he added.

The foreign secretary's remarks are seen to be an indication that the SCO declaration to be unveiled on Monday may comprise some criticism or condemnation of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
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Pakistan has been an all-weather ally of China, and Beijing in the past had blocked New Delhi's efforts to designate a number of Pakistan-based terrorists by the UN Security Council.

Misri said the two leaders exchanged views on jointly fighting terrorism.

To a question on whether PM Modi raised the Pahalgam terror attack and use of Chinese equipment by the Pakistan army during the India-Pakistan military conflict in May, Misri did not give a direct reply.

"All I'll say is that, without going into the specifics, the issue was discussed. It was raised by the prime minister, and he outlined his understanding very, very crisply and very specifically on this issue," he said.

"He outlined the fact that this is a scourge that both China and India have been victims of, and India is still combating this menace. And he asked for China's support on this particular issue. And, as I said, the Chinese have extended their support in various ways on addressing this issue," he noted.

Modi landed in China on Saturday on a two-day visit that came after a gap of seven years. He is in China to attend the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, following the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Sunday.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives to attend the Official Reception for Heads of States and Heads of Governments at the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China, August 31, 2025. Photograph: Narendra Modi Photo Gallery/ANI Photo

During a special briefing in Tianjin, Misri confirmed that the prime minister will first address the SCO plenary session before meeting President Putin.

"Tomorrow, the Prime Minister will be addressing the plenary session of the Summit, where he will outline India's approach to fostering regional cooperation under the SCO umbrella. After this engagement, he is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, following which he will depart for India," Misri said.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO leaders' summit. This was their first meeting after the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, in 2024.

Modi later joined the official reception of the summit, hosted by President Xi at the Tianjin Meijiang International Convention and Exhibition Center. He was greeted warmly by Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, before joining other world leaders for a group photograph symbolizing regional unity.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also attended the official reception along with senior members of his delegation, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, Deputy Chief of Staff Maxim Oreshkin, Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov, and Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to Russian news agency TASS.
Further, PM Modi invited Xi Jinping to the BRICS Summit that India will host in 2026, the external affairs ministry said.

President Xi thanked Modi for the invitation and offered China's support to India's BRICS presidency.

Russia is also a part of the BRICS nations.

India is preparing to take over the leadership of BRICS from Brazil, the current president. PM Modi also held a bilateral meeting with the acting president and military chief of Myanmar, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Tianjin.

Modi noted that India attaches importance to its ties with Myanmar as part of its 'Neighbourhood First,' 'Act East', and Indo-Pacific policies. The two leaders reviewed bilateral ties and discussed the way forward on several aspects of bilateral cooperation, including development partnerships, defense and security, border management, and border trade issues, the MEA stated.

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

India is likely to seal two mega submarine deals worth over Rs 1 lakh crore by the middle of next year to crank up its undersea warfare capabilities against the backdrop of China's increasing naval prowess, authoritative sources said on Sunday.

Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: ANI Photo
The first project that is being negotiated is for the procurement of three Scorpene submarines, which will be jointly constructed by state-run Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) and French defence major Naval Group.

Though the defence ministry cleared the nearly Rs 36,000 crore deal over two years back, there have been delays in negotiations to firm up various technical and commercial aspects of the project, the sources said.
The second project that the defence ministry is eyeing to seal is for the acquisition of six diesel-electric stealth submarines at a cost of around Rs 65,000 crore. The procurement was initially cleared by the ministry in 2021.
"We are expecting both contracts will be firmed up by the middle of next year," a source said.
Leading German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has partnered with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd for the project, billed as one of the biggest 'Make in India' initiatives in recent years.
The sources said the cost negotiations for the deal will start soon, and the entire process may take six to nine months before a contract is concluded.
While the proposed acquisition of six stealth submarines under Project 75 India (P75-I) is a completely new program, the plan for the three Scorpene submarines will be a follow-on order of a previous acquisition.
Under the Indian Navy's Project 75, six Scorpene submarines have already been constructed by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in collaboration with the Naval Group.
The Navy wants both deals to be firmed up soon, as it is looking at bolstering its underwater capabilities, said an official aware of the matter.
The sources cited above said finalizing the cost negotiations process for the diesel-engine program will take time. The commercial negotiations for Scorpene-class submarines have almost been completed, they added.
If everything goes as per plan, then the Scorpene project will be finalized early next year, as it has already suffered significant delays, the sources said.
The delivery of boats under both projects will start around six years after the signing of the contracts, they said.
Asked if the MDL will have the capabilities to implement both the projects simultaneously, the sources said it was for the shipbuilder to augment its infrastructure.
"There have already been inordinate delays in the Scorpene submarine project, and we hope it will be concluded soon," said one of the sources.
While the defence ministry had given its in-principle approval for the additional Scorpenes as well as the procurement of 26 naval variants of Rafale jets from France, the first project remained in limbo.
In April, India and France inked an intergovernmental agreement sealing a mega deal to procure 26 Rafale marine jets at a cost of Rs 64,000 crore (Euro 7 billion) for deployment on board the Indian Navy's aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
Source: PTI