‘Dialogue over discord’: PM Modi responds to Lex Fridman's India-China question

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking on the Lex Fridman podcast, emphasised strengthening the relations between India and China, saying that competition should not turn into conflicts and differences shouldn't be replaced by disputes.

PM Modi reiterated his stance on preferring dialogue over discord.

Fridman had asked the prime minister as to how his "friendship" with Chinese president Xi Jinping could be renewed to deescalate the tensions between New Delhi and Beijing.

‘No real history of conflict’

PM Modi responded by saying that the relationship between India and China is not something new, noting that both the countries have ancient cultures and civilisations.

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"If you look at historical records, for centuries, India and China have learned from each other. Together, they have always contributed to the global good in some way. Old records suggest that at one point, India and China alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of the world's GDP. That's how massive India's contribution was. And I believe our ties have been extremely strong, with deep cultural connections," the Prime Minister told Fridman.

He went on to say that as per centuries-old history, there exists no real context of any conflict between India and China.

The PM also touched upon how Buddhism has a prominent influence in China, saying that the philosophy of the two nations' ties originally came from here. "Our relationship should remain just as strong in the future. It should continue to grow," he added.

'Differences are natural'

Noting that two neighbouring countries are bound to have occasional arguments, PM Modi said that differences between them are also natural. He drew parallels with the scenario of a family, saying that even within them, not all things are perfect.

"But our focus is to ensure that these differences don't turn into disputes. That's what we actively work toward," the PM said.

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He further added, "Instead of discord, we emphasise on dialogue. Because it is only through dialogue, that we can build a stable, cooperative relationship that serves the best interests of both the nations."

India-China border disputes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed that India and China are experiencing border disputes. He noted how the incidents in 2020 created significant tensions between the two nations.

However, he said, "after my recent meeting with President Xi, we have seen a return to normalcy at the border. We are now working to restore conditions to how they were before 2020. Slowly but surely, trust, enthusiasm, and energy will return."

He said that these things will indeed take some time, considering that there has been a five-year gap now.

'Competition, not conflict'

The prime minister noted how cooperation between India and China is not just beneficial but essential for global stability and prosperity.

"And since the 21st century is Asia's century, we want India and China to compete healthily. Competition is not a bad thing, but it should never turn into a conflict," PM Modi emphasised.

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India and China achieved a breakthrough in their border talks last year when they completed the disengagement process at the two major friction points in eastern Ladakh. Following this PM Modi and President Xi had held discussions in Kazan, where they agreed to renew dialogue mechanisms for a better relationship between the two nations.