China's Xi calls India ‘friend and partner’ on Republic Day

Chinese president says bilateral relations had continued to improve over the past year

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday described India and China as “good neighbours, friends and partners” while extending greetings to Indian President Droupadi Murmu on India’s Republic Day, according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.

Xi said bilateral relations had continued to improve over the past year and were of “great significance” for promoting global peace and prosperity. He reiterated that being good neighbours and partners was the right path for both countries.

Referring to the two nations as the “dragon and the elephant dancing together”, Xi said China hoped to expand exchanges and cooperation with India while addressing each other’s concerns to ensure stable and healthy relations.

Read: Paradigm shift in China, India relations

India and China share a 3,800-kilometre disputed border that has remained a source of tension since the 1950s. Relations deteriorated sharply after a deadly 2020 clash in the Himalayan region that left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead, followed by heavy militarisation along the frontier.

Ties began showing signs of improvement last year through a series of high-level engagements. Direct flights resumed in 2025 as trade and investment increased amid shifting global dynamics and US President Donald Trump’s confrontational foreign policy.