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Chinese said PM Modi had told Xi Jinping that India has an independent foreign policy and would not allow any force to conduct anti-China activities from Indian territory.
A screen shows India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he greets Chinese President Xi Jinping on his arrival for the BRICS Summit. (Reuters)
A day after BRICS Summit, Beijing on Monday publicly endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message on India’s strategic autonomy, highlighting his assertion that New Delhi’s relationship with China is not shaped by any third country. The statement came after PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, as both sides seek to move ties towards greater cooperation despite continuing differences.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said PM Modi had told Chinese President Xi Jinping that India has an independent foreign policy and would not allow any force to conduct anti-China activities from Indian territory.
“China values Prime Minister Modi’s statements,” Guo said while speaking about the Modi-Xi meeting on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
India-China ‘Ties Not Affected By Any Third Party
The remarks came after Xi and PM Modi held bilateral talks during the BRICS Summit. It was Xi’s first bilateral visit to India in seven years and the third interaction between the two leaders in three years.
According to Guo, Modi said the development of India-China relations was “not affected by any third party”. He also said India would not permit any force to engage in anti-China activities on its territory.
“As President Xi noted, China and India have different national realities. We should draw on each other’s strengths, support each other, help each other succeed, and develop together. To promote the steady and sustained development of China-India relations, both sides need to calibrate the direction with an objective and rational strategic perception, help each other succeed in the spirit of win-win cooperation, remove irritants with the political wisdom of mutual respect and mutual understanding, and contribute to a better world with open and inclusive multilateral coordination. Prime Minister Modi said that India has an independent foreign policy, developing relations with China is not affected by any third party and that it will not allow any force to engage in anti-China activities on its territory. China values Prime Minister Modi’s statements,” said Guo.
Beijing has particularly highlighted these comments on India’s strategic autonomy and its approach towards China.
Guo said the New Delhi meeting reaffirmed the direction in which China-India relations have been moving, from the restart of engagement in Kazan to further progress in Tianjin and now New Delhi.
“The most important consensus reached is that China and India should be partners,” he said. Xi stressed that although China and India have different national circumstances, the two countries should benefit from each other’s strengths, support each other’s development and work together.
India-China Border Differences To Be Managed
China said both sides need an “objective and rational strategic perception” to ensure the steady development of bilateral relations. Guo also called for differences to be handled through “mutual respect and mutual understanding” while cooperation is expanded.
The two leaders agreed that disputes and disagreements should be properly managed to preserve peace and tranquillity along the border, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Despite efforts to improve ties, the long-standing border dispute remains a major difference between the two countries.
The two sides also agreed that development should remain the key focus of their relationship. China and India, described by Beijing as the world’s two most populous countries and major members of the Global South, should concentrate on economic development, friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation, while improving public perceptions of bilateral ties.
Trade And Business Concerns
Economic and trade issues also featured in the understanding reached between PM Modi and Xi.
Guo said China and India should address each other’s economic and trade concerns in a balanced way and work towards the “sound and steady development” of bilateral economic relations.
Asked about reports that India’s Serious Fraud Investigation Office had recommended an investigation into Xiaomi, Guo said he was not aware of the specific situation.
He nevertheless said China hopes India will provide a “fair, just, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment” for companies from all countries investing and operating in the country.
Guo described China-India economic and trade cooperation as mutually beneficial and “win-win”.
China To Lead BRICS Next Year
China will take over the BRICS chairship next year and host the 19th BRICS Summit.
Guo said Beijing wants to build consensus among member states and plan the next phase of cooperation. Xi described BRICS’ 20-year journey through “self-reliance and self-strengthening, standing together through wind and rain, and fruitful outcomes”.
At the New Delhi summit, Xi proposed an open-source and inclusive AI initiative, digital industry cooperation and intelligent manufacturing cooperation.
China also announced plans to establish a BRICS AI open-source community, create a BRICS digital ecosystem cloud platform and launch a youth exchange programme focused on scientific and technological innovation.
Guo said China wants other Global South countries to strengthen their capacity to benefit from emerging technologies. China also said it would work with India to expand cooperation, deepen people-to-people exchanges and strengthen coordination in multilateral forums.
Quick Answers
Ask News18During his bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that India has an independent foreign policy and that its relationship with China is not shaped or affected by any third party. Additionally, PM Modi stated that India will not allow any force to conduct anti-China activities from Indian territory.
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Shuddhanta Patra is an Indian journalist with about nine years of experience in covering national politics, geopolitics, defence, diplomacy and international affairs. Her reporting focuses on South As…Read More
September 15, 2026, 08:22 IST
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