India-China relations have improved from ‘reset and fresh start’ to ‘new level’: Chinese envoy Xu Feihong
India-China relations over the past year have improved from a “reset and fresh start” to a “new level of development”, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu
India-China relations over the past year have improved from a “reset and fresh start” to a “new level of development”, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong said on Friday (June 5, 2026), calling for accelerated efforts towards a “full normalisation” of relations and to address a “serious deficit of trust”. Speaking at The Hindu Huddlein Bengaluru in conversation with The Hindu’s Diplomatic Editor Suhasini Haidar, Mr. Xu said the two leaders — Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping — had played “a leading role in providing strategic guidance for relations between our two countries.” The Hindu Huddle 2026 Day 1 | Live updates “Both President Xi and Prime Minister Modi attach great importance to bilateral ties and view relations from the strategic and long-term perspective,” he said. “The diplomatic teams of two sides have been working very hard to step up communication and cooperation at various levels to advance implementation of the important common understandings between the two leaders. I would say the leaders have led relations from a reset and fresh start to a new level of development.” ‘Tangible progress, not yet fully normalised’ Xu said he was “very glad to see the gradual and tangible progress” both sides had made recently, including through easing of restrictions on investments from China, resumption of the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra for Indian pilgrims, resumption of direct flights between several cities, and other measures.
At the same time, he said ties were not yet fully normalised. “It is true we have made progress and (made) improvement in relations, but the full normalisation of our ties still calls for joint and continuous efforts from our two countries,” Mr. Xu said. “China-India relations are one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world. The importance of relations extends beyond the bilateral scope and carries global strategic significance.” ‘Happy to see easing restrictions on Chinese investment’ He said the Chinese side was “happy to see the Indian side has gradually eased restrictions on Chinese investment”, referring to the restrictions imposed in early 2020, at the start of the pandemic, following the issuing of Press Note 3. He did, however, add that this was not yet a “complete” easing of measures. Calling for more people-to-people ties, he said “the deficit of trust remains serious” between the two countries. “Exchanges between the policy-making bodies are not enough. China and India have nearly 50 government to government dialogue mechanisms, unfortunately most of them remain stalled,” he said, adding that China was “ready to resume exchanges with India in various fields and at various levels.” ‘Border situation is stable, peaceful’ On the boundary question and the rupture in ties following the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, (after Galwan clashes), Mr. Xu said both sides had held several rounds of recent talks, including most recently, last week in Beijing when both sides held the 35th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on border affairs.
The BriefWire