Modi–Xi Meeting: The Most Important India-China Dialogue Since Galwan

International Desk

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a bilateral meeting on the last day of the 18th BRICS Summit at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The meeting held on Saturday is being considered the most significant exchange in India-China relations since the Galwan Valley clash in 2020.

During the meeting, Modi directly and clearly told Xi, “Peace on the border is essential for the development of relations.” He also emphasized that both sides must abide by existing agreements and understandings regarding the border.

According to a statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the two leaders committed to a “fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable” resolution of the border dispute and agreed that both countries need to take a “strategic and long-term approach” to their relationship, so that differences do not escalate into conflict.

On behalf of China, Xi Jinping said in a video message that the two countries, although different in various fields, are capable of achieving mutual success and progress by complementing each other’s strengths. Xi also noted during the meeting that the two have met more than 20 times in the past 12 years, from which a number of important agreements have been reached.

This is Xi Jinping’s first visit to India in seven years. Relations, which have deteriorated sharply since the deadly border clash in 2020, have been gradually normalizing for more than a year, starting with the Modi-Xi meeting in Tianjin last year.

Context: Unresolved conflict between two superpowers

The border dispute between the world’s two most populous and nuclear-armed countries has yet to be formally resolved. The two countries’ armies are still locked in a standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Pradeep Taneja, a China-India expert at the University of Melbourne, told AFP that both sides were seeking “initial and significant progress” on the border issue, but that maintaining military presence on the border while maintaining people-to-people contact and economic ties was unrealistic.

Trade relations are also under discussion.

China is currently India’s largest trading partner — total trade between the two countries stood at a record $151.1 billion in the year to March 2026. However, India’s trade deficit with China also reached a record $112.16 billion, up from $99.21 billion the previous year. According to the meeting minutes, Modi and Xi agreed to address concerns over structural trade imbalances, supply chain issues and predictable market access.

The future and regional role of BRICS

At the meeting, Xi Jinping called on BRICS member countries to play a peacekeeping role in resolving conflicts in West Asia and said that China will host the 19th BRICS summit next year under the chairmanship of BRICS. At this summit, BRICS leaders unanimously adopted the “New Delhi Declaration 2026”, which emphasizes dialogue, cooperation, global stability and a greater voice for the Global South.

But analysts say deep mistrust over the Himalayan border, a growing trade deficit and strategic rivalry continue to complicate relations between the two countries. The report also suggests that some Tibetans in exile, including their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, are wary of the normalization process.