The year 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India. Guided by the leaders of both countries and supported by the joint efforts of all sectors in China and India, the two sides have welcomed steady and healthy development of bilateral relations through high-level meetings, institutional dialogue, improved connectivity, and expanded cultural interactions. Recently, the Center for Europe and Asia (China Pictorial Publications) of China International Communications Group (CICG), the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, and the India China Economic and Cultural Council (ICEC) jointly released the Top 10 News Stories on China-India Relations in 2025.
Chinese and Indian Leaders Exchange Congratulatory Messages, Advancing the Healthy and Stable Development of Bilateral Relations
On April 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian President Droupadi Murmu exchanged congratulatory messages on the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Xi said he stands ready to work with Murmu to take the opportunity presented by the anniversary of ties to enhance strategic mutual trust, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, deepen communication and coordination in major international affairs, jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the China-India border area, push forward a sound and steady development of bilateral relations, and contribute to world peace and prosperity.
For her part, Murmu remarked that India and China are two major neighboring countries home to one-third of the world’s population, noting that a stable, predictable, and friendly bilateral relationship will benefit both countries and the world. She proposed to take the opportunity of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties to jointly promote the sound and steady development of India-China relations.
Congratulatory messages on the occasion by leaders of the two countries reflect their willingness to view bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, which sent a clear signal to the international community that both sides seek to manage differences, enhance mutual trust, advance exchanges and cooperation, and contribute to global peace and prosperity.
Tianjin Meeting Gives New Momentum to Bilateral Relations
On August 31, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tianjin during the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit. It was the Indian Prime Minister’s first visit to China in seven years.
Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of China-India diplomatic ties, Xi said the two countries need to view and handle the relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective, pursue a further improvement of ties from the Tianjin meeting onward, and promote steady and sustained progress in bilateral ties. Xi called on the two countries to strengthen strategic communication, deepen mutual trust, expand exchanges and cooperation to achieve mutual benefits and win-win outcomes, accommodate each other’s concerns, get along in peace and harmony, and strengthen multilateral coordination to safeguard shared interests.
Noting that India and China are partners, not rivals, and that the consensus between the two countries far outweighs their disagreement, Modi said India is ready to view and develop bilateral ties from a long-term perspective. He added that India-China cooperation will make the 21st century a genuine “Asian century” and the two sides joining hands will increase the strength of multilateralism in international affairs.
The meeting between the two leaders sent a positive and stabilizing signal amid the complex international and regional landscape. It helped reinforce expectations for bilateral relations, restore political mutual trust, and create important conditions for the two countries to pursue more active cooperation in areas such as trade and economic ties, cultural exchange, regional governance, and multilateral affairs.
Institutionalized Meetings Reach Consensus on Advancing Practical Cooperation
The 24th Round of Talks Between the Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question was held in New Delhi on August 19. China’s Special Representative Wang Yi and India’s Special Representative Shri Ajit Doval conducted comprehensive, in-depth, and fruitful communication on the China-India boundary question and bilateral relations. The two sides exchanged views on early harvests of boundary negotiations, reaffirming their commitment to explore fair, equitable, and mutually acceptable solutions.
In January and June, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong and Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held meetings of China-India Vice Foreign Minister-Foreign Secretary Dialogue in Beijing and New Delhi, respectively, focusing on promoting implementation of common understandings reached between Chinese and Indian leaders at their meeting in Kazan and discussing concrete measures to improve and develop China-India relations.
In March and July, China and India held the 33rd and 34th Meeting of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on Border Affairs in Beijing and New Delhi, respectively. The two sides agreed to maintain communication through diplomatic and military channels to uphold peace and tranquility in the border areas.
Trade Volume Reaches New Heights, Boosting Global South Cooperation
In 2025, China-India bilateral trade continued to grow. According to the General Administration of Customs of China, total trade between the two countries reached US$127.6 billion from January to October 2025, an increase of 11 percent year on year. In August, China and India reached an agreement to resume border trade that had been suspended since 2020. In December, the India-China Business Summit 2025 was held in New Delhi. At the event, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong stated that the two countries enjoy broad prospects for aligning development strategies.
He remarked that both China and India benefit from strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation, improving the global economic governance system, and promoting cooperation and development for the Global South. Against a backdrop of slowing global economic growth and the rise of unilateralism and protectionism, China-India economic and trade cooperation has become an important stabilizing force for economic development in Asia and beyond.
Resumption of Direct Flights Enhances Connectivity Between the Two Countries
On October 27, direct passenger flights between the Chinese mainland and India officially resumed. The first post-resumption flight departed from Kolkata with 176 passengers and flew three hours and 45 minutes before landing at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at 3:49 a.m. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs remarked that the resumption of direct flights represents the latest progress in implementing the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries at their Tianjin meeting and is a positive step toward facilitating friendly exchange between the more than 2.8 billion people of the two nations.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs noted that the resumption of direct flights will further facilitate people-to-people contact between India and China.
India Resumes Tourist Visas for Chinese Nationals, Facilitating People-to-People Exchange
The Indian Embassy in China announced that India would open tourist visa applications to Chinese citizens from July 24. This marked the first time in five years that India resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals following the suspension in 2020. In late November, the Indian government issued a global notice to its embassies and consulates announcing full resumption of tourist visa services for Chinese citizens.
In December, India simplified procedures and expedited issuance of business visas for Chinese professionals. Overall, facilitation of personnel exchange between the two countries has continued to improve.
Resumption of Indian Pilgrimages Sustains Dialogue Between Civilizations
Beginning in June, pilgrimages by Indian devotees to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in China’s Xizang Autonomous Region officially resumed after a five-year suspension.
Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong remarked that the resumption of pilgrimages is an important initiative taken by China to improve relations between the two countries, which will help enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples, promote people-to-people and cultural exchange, and inject new impetus into the improvement and development of bilateral relations.
Close Cooperation on New Energy Drives Global Green Development
According to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations, Chinese-linked electric vehicle (EV) brands, including BYD, JSW-MG, and Volvo/Geely accounted for nearly a third of India’s passenger EV market as of October 2025. China Automotive New Energy Technology secured a 1 GWh order from India’s power grid and signed a memorandum of cooperation with IndiGrid, an Indian power sector infrastructure investment trust, covering supply of 5 GWh of energy storage system products for the 2026–2027 period. In addition, China’s LONGi Green Energy Technology (Hong Kong) reached an agreement with India’s Inox Solar to supply 5 GW of solar modules to the Indian market. These developments reflect growing momentum of China-India cooperation in the new energy sector.
Diverse People-to-People Exchange Strengthens Cultural Ties
In 2025, cultural exchange between China and India gradually regained momentum amid stabilized and improved bilateral relations. In March, a ten-member Indian classical music delegation led by celebrated sitarist Purbayan Chatterjee and flautist Rakesh Chaurasia toured Beijing and Shanghai. In April, a delegation of senior journalists and editors from seven Indian mainstream media outlets including The Times of India, India Today, and The Statesman visited Hunan and Fujian provinces. In June, the Consulate General of India in Shanghai commemorated the 164th birthday of Rabindranath Tagore, Indian poet and philosopher, with a vibrant cultural celebration. In July, the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting and the Inter-Civilizational Dialogue among SCO Countries 2025 were held in China, with the participation of prominent Indian cultural figures. In October, the Global Governance Roundtable for SCO Countries 2025 took place in Beijing, attended by representatives from Indian think tanks. Through dialogue and cooperation in areas such as arts, media, civilizational exchange, and governance, both sides continued to promote people-to-people exchange.
China–India Youth Dialogue Carries the Cause of Friendship Forward
On February 25, the Chinese Embassy in India and the Confederation of Young Leaders of India (CYL) co-hosted the third China-India Youth Dialogue, attended by more than 100 representatives of youth, media, and think tanks from both countries. The representatives exchanged views on China-India cooperation in fields of politics, economics, culture, education, and work under the framework of the SCO. In his speech, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong expressed hope that the youth of two countries will be promoters of bilateral relations, standard bearers of China-India friendship, and envoys of the correct perceptions of China and India, contributing wisdom and strength to China-India ties. He encouraged youth to participate in people-to-people exchange and mutual learning among civilizations through concrete action under the framework of the SCO. Himadrish Suwan, chairman of the CYL, said that India-China Youth Dialogue is a flagship Track II engagement between two countries, which has been well received at the Indian government. As two ancient civilizations and emerging global powers, he added, China and India should work towards a stable, predictable, and resilient relationship. He noted that the youth bear a historical responsibility.
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