Ahead of his crucial meeting with President Xi Jinping in China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said New Delhi is committed to strengthening bilateral relations with Beijing through a strategic, long-term approach grounded in mutual respect, shared interests and sensitivity.
PM Narendra Modi, in an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun, said the steady relationship with China is essential for peace in the Indo-Pacific region.
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Modi will hold talks with Xi Jinping on August 31 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit as ties between the Asian rivals thaw against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump's imposition of 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
Modi is on his first visit to China in seven years to participate in the summit of the SCO regional security bloc, whose members also include Russia and Iran.
{{/usCountry}}Modi is on his first visit to China in seven years to participate in the summit of the SCO regional security bloc, whose members also include Russia and Iran.
{{/usCountry}}“At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, I would be travelling to Tianjin from here to take part in the SCO Summit. Since my meeting with President Xi in Kazan last year, steady and positive progress has been made in our bilateral ties,” Modi said in a written response to an interview for The Yomiuri Shimbun.
Modi added that good relations between the neighbours will have a positive impact on the prosperity of the region.
"Stable, predictable, and amicable bilateral relations between India and China, as two neighbours and the two largest nations on earth, can have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity," Modi said in the interview.
Modi also said stable India-China relations were also essential for the multipolar world, given the volatility.
"This is also crucial for a multi-polar Asia and a multi-polar world. Given the current volatility in the world economy, it is also important for India and China, as two major economies, to work together to bring stability to the world economic order. India is ready to advance bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity, and to enhance strategic communication to address our developmental challenges," he said.
Modi departed from Delhi on Thursday for a two-day official visit to Japan, scheduled from August 29 to 30, to attend the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit.
Following his visit to Japan, Modi will head to China for the SCO Summit in Tianjin. Modi will also hold a crucial bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Modi's visit is the first since a deadly 2020 Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese troops.