India, China leaders vow to resolve border dispute

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in New Delhi on Saturday to discuss resolving their longstanding border dispute. Both leaders stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Himalayan region, which is vital for strengthening bilateral relations. The Indian External Affairs Ministry quoted Xi as calling for parallel, mutually reinforcing progress on the issue.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry echoed this sentiment, with Xi emphasizing that China and India should act as partners rather than rivals. The leaders agreed that addressing each other's concerns, including structural trade imbalances, would be crucial to boosting economic and trade cooperation. To facilitate people-to-people exchanges, Xi highlighted the importance of resuming direct flights between the two nations, with a route between Guangzhou and New Delhi set to begin on September 21 after a six-year suspension due to the pandemic.

Xi also noted that as the world's two most populous countries, China and India bear significant responsibilities in the face of a changing and turbulent international landscape. Modi pledged to promote multipolarity and cooperation among Global South developing and emerging countries, with China set to chair the upcoming BRICS summit.