The year 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and India. Since April 1, 1950, exchanges between the two great countries have come a long way, in which heads of state (government) diplomacy plays a key role in enhancing mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual complementarity. Highlighting more recent achievements are the interactions and friendship between the two leaders — China’s President Xi Jinping and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. From 2014 to 2024, Mr. Xi and Mr. Modi have met 18 times. When the year 2014 was declared as the Year of China-India Friendly Exchanges, Mr. Xi paid a state visit to India in September and made a trip to Ahmedabad, the home town of Mr. Modi. China and India issued a Joint Statement on Building an Even Closer Partnership for Development. In May 2015, Mr. Modi made his first visit to China, and Mr. Xi received him in Xi’an, Mr. Xi’s home town.
From 2016 to 2019, the two leaders met multiple times each year on the occasions of the BRICS summit, the G-20 summit, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the next few years saw the two leaders exchange greetings and messages through letters and in telephone conversations. With the resumption of face-to-face meetings, Mr. Xi held talks with Mr. Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg in August 2023. And in October 2024, the two leaders held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS summit in Kazan, reaching important understandings on improving and growing China-India relations.
A milestone for the United Nations
This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, following the victory of the world anti-fascist war. Eighty years ago, upon deep reflection on the bitter lessons of the First and Second World Wars, the international community established the UN, commencing a brand new practice in global governance. In the past 80 years, the UN-based visions and practice of global governance have made historic contributions to maintaining world peace and development. However, the first few decades of the 21st century saw the world increasingly confronted with volatility, turbulence, uncertainty and unpredictability.
Faced with harmful “isms” such as unilateralism, protectionism, isolationism, separatism, terrorism, extremism and hegemonism, humanity needs to dwell on a major subject of our times, i.e., in order not to slip into a rule of jungle law, the kind of global governance system that needs to be built and how to reform and improve our global governance. Therefore, at such an important juncture, the 25th SCO Summit in Tianjin and the 19th in-person Xi-Modi meeting during the summit have been highly anticipated and expected by not only the more than 2.8 billion people in China and India but also the rest of the world, to shed some light on subjects such as bilateral relations, global governance and the future of humanity.
Partners, not rivals
Indeed, as pointed out by Sudheendra Kulkarni, political adviser and scholar, the 2025 Tianjin SCO Summit could be one of the most successful in the organisation’s history. This could be because of the changing world order (with the West rapidly losing its dominance in global affairs in the irreversible trend of multipolarity and multilateralism), and, more significantly, due to the growing importance of Asia and Eurasia. Mr. Xi and Mr. Modi are two leaders who have shown vision and wisdom in their friendly interactions.
Mr. Xi has emphasised that China and India shoulder the crucial responsibility of improving the well-being of the two peoples, promoting solidarity and rejuvenation of developing countries, and advancing the progress of human society. China and India should be good neighbours and partners who help each other succeed. He made four points of suggestion — China and India should strengthen strategic communication and deepen mutual trust; expand exchanges and cooperation to achieve mutual benefit and win-win; accommodate each other’s concerns and get along in peace and harmony, and strengthen multilateral coordination to safeguard our shared interests. Mr. Modi echoed Mr. Xi in this by saying that the India-China relationship is back on a positive trajectory, that peace and stability in the border regions have been maintained, and that direct flights were to resume.
Such progress benefits not only the peoples of India and China but also the whole world. India and China are partners, not rivals. Their consensus far outweighs their disagreement. India-China cooperation will make the 21st century a genuine Asian century, and the two sides joining hands will increase the strength of multilateralism in international affairs.
The highlight of the Tianjin SCO summit was the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) raised by Mr. Xi, based on five basic principles. First, stay committed to sovereign equality. All countries, regardless of size, strength or wealth, shall have their sovereignty and dignity respected, their domestic affairs free from external interference, the right to independently choose their social system and development path, and the right to participate in, make decisions in and benefit from the global governance process as equals. Greater democracy should be promoted in international relations to make the global governance system better reflect the interests and the aspirations of the majority of countries, especially the developing countries.
Second, stay committed to international rule of law. The purposes and principles of the UN Charter are universally recognised basic norms of international relations and must be upheld unwaveringly. International law and rules must be applied, equally and uniformly, without any double standards or imposition. Major countries must take the lead in advocating and defending international rule of law.
Third, stay committed to multilateralism. Global affairs should be decided by all, the governance system built by all, and the fruits of governance shared by all. The UN is the core platform for practising multilateralism and advancing global governance, whose role must be enhanced, not weakened.
Fourth, stay committed to the people-centered approach. The people of all nations are the fundamental actors in global governance, and their well being its ultimate benefit. It must seek improvement through reforms in order to inspire a greater sense of fulfilment through accelerated common development, a greater sense of safety through more effective response to humanity’s common challenges, and a greater sense of well being through advancing the common interests of different countries and communities.
Fifth, stay committed to real results. Effective global governance is essentially one that resolves real problems. It must address both the root causes and symptoms to find sustainable solutions. Developed countries should earnestly take on their responsibilities and provide more resources and public goods, while developing countries should pull together for strength and do their best for the world.
The task ahead
The GGI is another major initiative and public good offered by China. With the aim of addressing the deficit of global governance, the GGI stems from the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and responds to the shared aspiration of most countries. To reform and improve global governance does not mean overturning the existing international order or to create another framework outside the current international system. Rather, the goal is to make the existing international system and institutions better in taking action, working effectively, adapting to changes, responding promptly and effectively to various global challenges, and serving the interests of all countries.
As key members of the SCO and BRICS, China and India should step up to shoulder their responsibility in improving global governance, upholding multilateralism, strengthening communication and coordination on major international and regional issues, and in defending international fairness and justice. They should follow the strategic guidance of their two leaders, bearing in mind the importance of the larger picture and long-term view, taking on the responsibility of improving the well-being of their peoples, and in promoting the solidarity and the rejuvenation of developing countries.
Qin Jie is the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Mumbai
Published – October 18, 2025 12:16 am IST
