China sends Republic Day message to ‘good friend’ India in renewal of ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping has conveyed his congratulations to India on its Republic Day, characterising the two nations as "good neighbours, friends and partners." The message was reported by the official Xinhua news agency on Monday.

Mr Xi asserted that China-India relations have experienced continuous improvement and development over the past year. He underscored their "great significance for maintaining and promoting world peace and prosperity," according to Xinhua.

President Xi further stated that China has consistently held the belief that being "good neighbours, friends and partners" is the optimal choice for both countries. He evocatively referred to China and India as the "dragon and the elephant dancing together."

Mr Xi said he hoped that both sides would expand exchanges and cooperation and address each other's concerns to promote healthy and stable relations.

The nuclear-armed Asian neighbours share a 3,800 km (2,400-mile) border that is poorly demarcated and has been disputed since the 1950s.

Ties between the countries were shaken by a 2020 clash in which 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers died in hand-to-hand combat. After that, the Himalayan border was heavily militarised by both sides.

Both countries began improving ties last year after staging a series of high-level bilateral visits.

Direct flights resumed in 2025 as both countries stepped up trade and investment flows against the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump's combative foreign policy.

Mr Trump threatened to “immediately” hit Canada with a 100 percent tariff on all goods and products on 24 January, should they make a deal with China.

“If Governor Carney thinks he is going to make Canada a “Drop Off Port” for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken,” the president wrote in a Truth Social post Saturday morning.

“China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life. If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A.”

The new “strategic partnership” between China and Canada was announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier this month and promises to expand trade and mutual investment between the two nations, while focusing on areas such as agriculture, agri-food, energy, and finance.