China, India vow to foster stable relations

President Xi Jinping reaffirmed on Tuesday his commitment to fostering the healthy and stable development of China-India relations to contribute to global peace and prosperity, as he exchanged congratulatory messages with Indian President Droupadi Murmu on the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In his message, Xi expressed readiness to work with Murmu to bolster strategic mutual trust, expand exchanges and cooperation across various fields, deepen communication and coordination on major international affairs, and jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border area.

China and India, both ancient civilizations, major developing countries and key members of the Global South, are at a critical stage of their respective modernization efforts, Xi noted.

The history of China-India relations demonstrates that the "cooperative steps of the dragon and the elephant" is the right choice for the two sides, aligning fully with the fundamental interests of both countries and their peoples, he added.

Xi called on both nations to view and handle their ties from a strategic and long-term perspective, seek a path of peaceful coexistence, mutual trust and common development as neighboring major countries, and work together to promote a multipolar world and greater democracy in international relations.

Noting that India and China are two neighboring major countries, accounting for more than one-third of the global population, Murmu emphasized that a stable, predictable and friendly bilateral relationship will benefit both nations as well as the world.

She called on the two countries to take the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations as an opportunity to jointly promote the sound and steady development of bilateral relations.

Also on Tuesday, Premier Li Qiang and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged congratulatory messages.

Li said that China is ready to work with India to properly manage border issues and advance bilateral relations for the benefit of both peoples.

Modi emphasized the shared responsibility of India and China in promoting peace and development, noting that the two countries' relationship not only contributes to global stability and prosperity, but also supports the realization of a multipolar world.

He expressed confidence that the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations will usher in a new phase of stable and healthy growth in bilateral ties.

On April 1, 1950, India was the first nonsocialist country to establish diplomatic relations with China. Over the past decades, despite ups and downs, the bilateral relationship has maintained an overall positive momentum of development, with friendly exchanges and cooperation always being the mainstream.

China has remained India's largest trading partner for many years. According to Chinese data, bilateral trade reached $138.48 billion in 2024, marking a 1.7 percent year-on-year increase.

In October last year, Xi and Modi met in Kazan, Russia, leading the bilateral relationship to embark on a new journey.

Modi said in a recent interview that it was normal for the two neighboring major countries to have differences and the key was to ensure that the differences do not turn into disputes.

He emphasized the need to prioritize dialogue over discord, and acknowledged that strong bilateral ties are not only beneficial for the two nations, but also critical for global stability.

Over the past few months, China and India have engaged in intensive and productive exchanges, culminating in the exchange of the anniversary messages.

Last week, during consultations between the two countries' foreign ministries, both sides agreed to actively promote exchanges at all levels, accelerate efforts to resume direct flights, facilitate personnel exchanges, and support the reciprocal posting of journalists.

Lin Minwang, deputy director of the Center for South Asian Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said that as key members of the Global South, China and India share the responsibility of safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and their coordination in multilateral mechanisms helps contribute to stability in a world that is facing increasing turbulence and uncertainty.

India has pledged full support for China's role as the rotating chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization this year and committed to actively participating in various SCO activities hosted by Beijing.

zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn