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Xi Jinping lauds India-China ties in Republic Day message: 'Good neighbours, friends, partners'
Xi Jinping reportedly referred to China and India as the “dragon and the elephant dancing together”, a phrase he has often used in the past.
As India celebrates the 77th Republic Day, Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a message on Monday, heaping praise on the ties between the two countries, the official Xinhua news agency reported. In his Republic Day greeting to President Droupadi Murmu, Jinping described India and China as “good neighbours, friends and partners”.
He reportedly referred to China and India as the "dragon and the elephant dancing together," a phrase he has often used to describe the relations between the two countries.
Follow live updates on Republic Day 2026 celebrations here.
According to news agency Reuters, Jinping said he hoped the neighbouring countries would expand exchanges and cooperation and address each other's concerns to promote stability in diplomatic ties.
Thaw in India-China ties
Jinping's remarks come at a time when India and China are improving ties, that remained under strain for four years after the 2020 Galwan Valley border clash.
However, diplomatic relations between India and China later improved, after a series of high-level bilateral visits. The road to restoration of ties was carved out back in October 2024, when Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in Kazan, Russia, during the BRICS Summit.
The two sides had agreed to end the border face-off in October 2024. Months later, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited China back in July and asserted that India and China should build on "good progress" in normalising the bilateral ties to address border-related issues, including de-escalation.
What further normalised ties was the resumption of Indian pilgrims' visit to Kailash and Mansarovar in Tibet, and the easing up of visa procedures by both countries. More recently, direct flights between India and China also resumed.
Republic Day celebrations in India
A grand parade is planned in New Delhi's Kartavya Path on Monday as India celebrates the 77th Republic Day. The day commemorates the adoption of the Constitution, which came into force on January 26, 1950.
The parade at Kartavya Path will begin at 10:30 am and last for about 90 minutes. The theme of this year’s Republic Day is “150 Years of Vande Mataram”.
Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, will be chief guests at the ceremony.
