‘India, China should view each other as partners, not rivals’ says Chinese FM Wang Yi

INdia and communist china should consider from each one other as “partners, non rivals” and “ chance instead of threat”, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Sunday.Wang, at his annual press conference on the sidelines of the Chinese parliament, the National People’s Congress (NPC), said both countries should stick to the direction set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping to improve relations without interference.Modi and Xi had a successful meeting in Tianjin last August, Wang said. “Building on the fresh start enabled by their Kazan meeting in 2024, the Tianjin summit brought about further improvement in China-India relations,” he added.“We are heartened to see re-energised interactions at all levels, a new record in bilateral trade, and closer people-to-people exchanges. All this has brought tangible benefits to the two peoples,” he said.On the future course of the ties, Wang said both countries “must maintain the correct strategic perception of each other as partner rather than rival, and opportunity instead of threat”.“Both sides also must uphold good-neighbourliness and friendship, and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the border areas and focus on development,” he said.“As each other’s important neighbours and members of the Global South, China and India enjoy profound civilisational ties and share extensive common interests,” Wang said.“Mutual trust and cooperation is beneficial to the development of the two countries, while division and confrontation is detrimental to the rejuvenation of Asia,” the Chinese foreign minister said.The two sides should follow the direction set by leaders and remove interference, he said without elaborating.He said India and China should support each other hosting BRICS summits. While India is set to host the summit this year, China is due to host the summit in 2027.BRICS which originally comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, later expanded with the admission of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran.India-China relations, which were frozen for five years due to military standoff in eastern Ladakh, began the process of normalisation following two summits between Modi and Xi at Kazan in Russia in 2024 followed by a second meeting on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Tianjin last year.Both sides resumed visa and flight services besides initiating a series of measures to normalise their relations.Wang said China hopes this year will be a “landmark year” for its relationship with its biggest competitor, the US, striking a largely positive tone ahead of an expected summit between the leaders of the two countries later this month.Wang said that it was a “big year” for the relationship between the two world powers. He said that while there are many differences, “the two heads of state have personally maintained good exchanges at the highest level,” providing a level of “strategic guarantee” for the bilateral relationship.US President Donald Trump is due to visit Beijing for a summit with China’s President Xi Jinping at the end of March. While Wang did not confirm the visit, he signaled that Beijing is looking for a less fraught relationship. “The agenda for high-level exchanges is already on our table. What needs to be done now is for both sides to make thorough preparations for this, foster a suitable atmosphere, manage existing differences, and eliminate unnecessary distractions,” said Wang. “China’s attitude has always been positive and open, and the key is for the U.S. Side to meet us halfway.”Trump and Xi agreed to a temporary trade truce last October that hit pause on the highest of the tariffs, but did not resolve any of the deeper underlying issues.