Xi Jinping Has This Message For Newly Elected Indian President: 'I Attach Great Importance To...'

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent out a congratulatory message to the newly elected president of India, Droupadi Murmu.

What Happened: Murmu was yesterday sworn in as the first-ever tribal president of the country after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party scooped up over 60% of the total vote value in the parliament for their preferred candidate.

Following this, many congratulatory messages poured in from the world leaders, including one from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi.

Xi said he stands ready to work with Murmu to enhance political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation and properly handle differences.

In his message to the newly elected president of India, Xi pointed out that China and India are important neighbors of each other and that a healthy and stable China-India relationship is in line with the fundamental interests of the two countries and their people, as well as conducive to peace, stability, and development in the region and across the world.

"I attach great importance to China-India relations and am ready to work with President Murmu to enhance political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, properly handle differences and push China-India relations forward on the right track," he said.

Why It Matters: The bilateral relations between the two nations improved for a while when PM Modi and Xi held two summits in 2018. However, the eastern Ladakh border standoff turned things around following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas in 2020.

The skirmishes between China and India have continued for over two years, with the latest and 16th round of talks being held on the Indian side of LAC in eastern Ladakh on July 15, according to the Press Trust of India.

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