China calls for partnership with India, not rivalry

China has called on India and China to view each other as partners rather than rivals and to treat their relationship as an opportunity for mutual development instead of a strategic threat. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remarks during a press conference on Sunday held on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People’s Congress in Beijing.

Wang Yi said both countries should move forward along the direction set by I ndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping to further improve bilateral relations. He stressed that the two neighbours should strengthen their ties without external interference.

Recalling recent engagements between the leaders, Wang Yi described the meeting between Modi and Xi held in Tianjin in August last year as “highly successful”. According to him, the leaders’ interaction in Kazan in 2024 laid the foundation for a fresh beginning in bilateral ties , while the Tianjin meeting helped elevate the relationship further.

He noted that dialogue between the two countries has resumed at multiple levels and bilateral trade has been registering new records. Wang also expressed hope that growing people-to-people exchanges would bring tangible benefits to citizens in both nations.

Commenting on the future of India-China relations, Wang Yi emphasised the importance of developing the right strategic perception. “India and China are neighbours and should be partners, not competitors. Division and confrontation would only hinder Asia’s resurgence,” he said.

He added that mutual trust and cooperation are essential for the development of both nations. Maintaining peace along the border while focusing on economic growth should remain a priority, he said, pointing out that both countries, as ancient civilisations and members of the Global South, share several common interests.

Wang Yi also urged India and China to cooperate in strengthening the BRICS ( Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) grouping. He called for mutual support for the BRICS summit scheduled to be held in India this year and for the summit planned in China in 2027. He noted that BRICS, which originally started with five countries, has expanded significantly with the inclusion of nations such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran.

Relations between India and China had remained strained for nearly five years following the military standoff in eastern Ladakh . However, the meeting between Modi and Xi in Kazan in 2024, followed by their interaction on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, helped ease the stalemate.

Wang Yi said that as a result, ties between the two countries are gradually returning to normal, with measures such as the resumption of visa services and the restart of flight operations taking place in recent months.