NEW DELHI: Invoking “Eastern wisdom” and the shared responsibility of the Global South, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong on Thursday called for deeper cooperation between India and China, positioning the relationship as critical to shaping a more balanced global order.
Addressing the 4th China-India Youth Dialogue, Xu said both countries must work together to safeguard the interests of developing nations and resist divisive geopolitical narratives.
“China and India should strengthen communication and coordination, jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries and lead the Global South towards greater development,” he said.
“We should carry forward the Eastern wisdom of peaceful coexistence and mutual learning and prevent the world from reverting to the law of the jungle.”
Highlighting the simultaneous rise of the two Asian powers, Xu said their development success stories were rooted in domestic effort while benefiting from global cooperation. He described both nations as being at a “critical stage of development and national rejuvenation.”
“We should achieve development through our own efforts while actively pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation and supporting each other's success,” he said.
The envoy underlined the role of young people in driving the next phase of engagement, particularly in frontier sectors such as artificial intelligence, the digital economy and green technology.
He said China’s recent technological advances, including humanoid robotics and AI video models, have drawn global attention, while India has made AI a national priority.
“Chinese and Indian youth should deepen exchanges and cooperation in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, digital economy and green technology,” Xu said.
He also pointed to growing cultural linkages, noting that Chinese digital content ranging from online games to web series and literature has found an audience among Indian youth, alongside consumer trends reflecting evolving cross-cultural influence.
Referring to recent interactions between Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi, Xu said bilateral ties have seen “a new level of improvement”, with positive momentum in exchanges and cooperation. At the same time, he pushed back against narratives framing the relationship as adversarial.
“China and India are neighbours that cannot be moved apart. It should be the right choice for both sides to be good neighbourly friends and partners,” he said, adding that “some people deliberately amplify our differences” and promote a “so-called China threat”.
“Young people should think independently and step out of the information cocoon,” he said.