NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reaffirmed the critical importance of strong India-China relations, highlighting their potential to foster regional peace, prosperity, and stability to the world economic order.
In an interview with Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun, Modi said India is ready to advance its bilateral ties with China from a long-term strategic perspective rooted in mutual respect, interest, and sensitivity.
“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,” Modi said, stressing the global stakes involved in their partnership.
His forthcoming visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, set for August 31 and September 1 in Tianjin, will be his first in seven years and is widely viewed as an opportunity to take their ties significantly forward amid global flux unleashed by Trump tariffs. Modi is set to hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the summit’s sidelines.
“Stable, predictable, and amicable bilateral relations between India and China, the two largest nations on Earth, can have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity,” Modi said in the interview, echoing earlier remarks after meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Delhi this month.
Modi’s articulation of stability and predictability signals a clear Indian intent to move beyond episodic conflicts toward a more managed and strategic relationship through building trust.
His approach highlights a pragmatic realignment in India’s foreign policy, balancing relations with China while simultaneously deepening ties with key partners like Japan. Modi’s current two-day visit to Japan his stop before heading to China includes participation in the India-Japan Economic Forum and visits to factories producing cutting-edge technologies like the E10 Shinkansen bullet train, which India plans to procure.
The focus on infrastructure, innovation, and defense cooperation with Japan signals a broader strategy of diversified partnerships in Asia.
The timing of Modi’s comment is significant against a backdrop of geopolitical turbulence: the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Gaza conflict, and trade tensions triggered by the US’s imposition of a 50% tariff on Indian goods. The SCO summit itself includes influential regional players such as Russia, Iran, Pakistan, and Central Asian states, positioning it as a critical platform for addressing security and economic challenges in Eurasia. In the interview, Modi spoke about the broader significance of India-China relationship.
“This is also crucial for a multi-polar Asia and a multi-polar world. 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’s emphasis on “multi-polar Asia and world” ahead of the visit to China reflects India’s vision for a global order that moves away from unilateral dominance and towards greater regional cooperation and balance of power. India and China, as the two fastest-growing economies and demographic giants, have a pivotal role to play in shaping this multipolar future. Modi’s call for collaboration on stabilizing the world economy is a strategic appeal not just to China, but to the global community watching closely.
New Delhi has been stressing on the fair, balanced and multi-polar world order, including a multi-polar Asia along with reformed multilateralism both India see as imperative of maintaining and enhancing stability in the global economy.
However, Modi’s message is not just about economics and geopolitics. It also signals a political readiness on the part of India to engage China with mutual sensitivity, acknowledging the complex history and ongoing challenges while seeking a pathway forward that are mutually beneficial and dictated by the demands of the changing world order. In other words, it
suggests India’s intent to avoid escalation, manage differences pragmatically, and explore areas of cooperation that can yield tangible benefits for both nations.
The SCO summit meeting and Modi’s bilateral discussions with Xi will be closely anaysed for progress on all key issues including trade, and broader strategic alignment.