Xi’s congratulates Modi 2.0, hopes for stronger India-China relations

The decisive victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party in the 2019 elections is set to renew momentum in India-China relations, with President Xi Jinping promptly congratulating the Indian leader on the electoral victory and hoping for stronger partnership between the two countries. In a congratulatory letter to Mr Modi on the electoral victory of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, Mr Xi underlined the “great importance he attached to the development of India-China relations and his desire to work with PM Modi to take the Development Partnership between the two countries to a new height.” The Chinese leader “expressed strong satisfaction at the strong momentum of development in India-China relations in recent years with the joint efforts of both sides,” said a statement by India’s Ministry of External Affairs. Mr Xi was among the first few world leaders to congratulate PM Modi on the electoral victory of his party even before the election results were declared publicly. Mr Xi’s optimism about developing stronger relations with India come barely three weeks before he meets PM Modi on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek on June 13-14. There is also a window for a meeting between the two leaders in Osaka on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Bilateral relations are expected to move into a higher orbit during President Xi’s visit to India for the second informal summit with Mr Modi, likely in October. Over the last few months, Prime Minister Modi and President Xi forged personal chemistry and rapport, which was seen most visibly at the first informal summit meeting between the two leaders in Wuhan in April last year. The Wuhan consensus, firmed up between the two leaders, has ensured a positive energy and momentum in India-China relations, with many tangible results in the form of reduction in trade deficit and cooperation in third countries like Afghanistan. Post-Wuhan, bilateral relations have by and large progressed positively, except for differences over the listing of Pakistan-based terrorist Masood Azhar, the prime suspect behind the Pulwama carnage, which also got resolved after China decided to go along with the international community in sanctioning the terrorist.