CHINESE leader Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged today to resolve their border differences and bolster co-operation, ahead of the opening of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin.

President Xi said he hoped the Tianjin meeting will “promote the sustained, healthy and stable development of bilateral relations,” according to Chinese broadcaster CCTV.

The two sides should “not let the border issue define the overall China-India relationship,” Mr Xi said, adding that economic development for both countries should be their main focus.

He added: “As long as they remain committed to the overarching goal of being partners, not rivals, and providing development opportunities, not threats, China-India relations will flourish and move forward steadily.”

Mr Modi is on his first visit to China since a deadly border clash between the nations in 2020. 

The Indian prime minister said relations with China have moved in “a meaningful direction,” adding that “there is a peaceful environment at the borders after disengagement.”

Mr Modi joins Mr Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders of seven other nations for the latest summit of the SCO.

The full membership includes Russia, Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. 

The leaders of about a dozen other countries are joining the summit as SCO dialogue partners or guests, including Egypt, Nepal and several south-east Asian nations.

President Putin, who arrived in Tianjin today, is also due to hold bilateral meetings with President Xi and Mr Modi in the coming days.

The attendance of Mr Modi in person at the SCO summit sends a strong signal to the United States after President Trump imposed a hefty 50 per cent tariff on Indian exports to the US.

One of the reasons given was India’s insistence on its sovereign right to buy Russian oil. India insists it is neutral on the war in Ukraine.

Last week the Xinhua News Agency called the gathering the “largest-ever SCO summit in history” and said it would be used for “charting the blueprint for the bloc’s next decade of development.”

Xinhua spoke of the organisation being guided by the “Shanghai spirit, which features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilisations and pursuit of common development.”