Opinion | There may be ‘positive signals’ but Xi’s snub of Modi suggests China-India ties are still a worry
- Beijing has sent a new envoy to New Delhi, but the Chinese leader still hasn’t congratulated Narendra Modi on his election win
Xu is not seen as an India expert but his appointment and Modi’s remarks on the need for “stable and peaceful relations” have been seen as rare “positive signals”.
But there have been few clear signs that the Asian giants are getting along any better, with their border stand-off since 2020 still unresolved – a situation S. Jaishankar, India’s external affairs minister, described in April as “competitive, sensitive and challenging”.
Modi was re-elected last week in a much narrower than expected victory, becoming only the second Indian prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to retain power for a third five-year term.
China’s foreign ministry congratulated Modi on his election win at a regular press briefing the next day, saying Beijing was “ready to work with India to promote the healthy and stable development of relations”.
But conspicuously, it appears the Chinese president has yet to send a message to Modi, unlike other world leaders – including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, India’s arch-rival.
