"Slowly but surely, trust, enthusiasm, and energy will return": PM Modi on relations with China

Despite ongoing border disputes, PM Modi acknowledged the ancient cultural and civilizational ties between the two nations, noting that there's no real history of conflict between them.

He said that the two nations are now working to restore conditions to how they were before 2020, with Modi emphasizing the importance of rebuilding trust, enthusiasm, and energy.

Speaking in a podcast with AI researcher Lex Fridman, PM Modi also advocated for healthy competition between the two nations, emphasising that competition should never turn into conflict.

"Look, the relationship between India and China isn't something new. Both nations have ancient cultures and civilizations. Even in the modern world, they play a significant role. 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," he said.

PM Modi Modi highlighted the significant contributions of India and China to the global good, citing historical records that show the two nations accounted for over 50 per cent of the world's GDP at one point.

"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. If we look back centuries, there's no real history of conflict between us. It has always been about learning from each other and understanding one another," he added.

PM Modi expressed optimism about improving relations with China, following a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. On October 23, 2024, President Xi Jinping met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the margins of the BRICS Summit held in Kazan, Russia.

Despite ongoing border disputes and significant tensions in 2020, PM Modi acknowledged a return to normalcy at the border. The two nations are now working to restore conditions to how they were before 2020.

"It is true that there have been ongoing border disputes between us. And in 2020, the incidents along the border created significant tensions between our countries. However, after my recent meeting with China's President Xi Jinping, 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. But of course, it will take some time, since there's been a five-year gap," he said.

PM Modi highlighted the significance of cooperation between India and China, stating that it's essential for global stability and prosperity. He advocated for healthy competition between the two nations, emphasizing that competition should never turn into conflict.

"Our cooperation isn't just beneficial, it's also essential for global stability and prosperity. And since the 21st century is Asia's century, we want India and China to compete healthily and naturally. Competition is not a bad thing, but it should never turn into conflict," he added.

The Prime Minister also acknowledged that differences between neighbouring countries are natural but stressed the need to prevent them from escalating into disputes.

"Our relationship should remain just as strong in the future. It should continue to grow. Of course, differences are natural. When two neighbouring countries exist, occasional disagreements are bound to happen. Even within a family, not everything is always perfect. But our focus is to ensure that these differences don't turn into disputes," he said.

"That's what we actively work toward. Instead of discord, we emphasize dialogue, because only through dialogue can we build a stable cooperative relationship that serves the best interests of both nations," he added.

The Prime Minister also expressed concern over the ineffectiveness of international organizations and the failure of institutions like the UN to fulfill their roles.

"International organizations that were once powerful have become almost irrelevant. No real reforms are happening. Institutions, like the UN, are failing to fulfill their roles. People, who disregard international laws and rules, continue to act freely, and no one can stop them. In such situations, the prudent choice for everyone is to let go of conflict and move toward cooperation. And a development-driven approach is the way forward," he added.

Highlighting the interdependence and interconnectedness of the world, PM Modi advocated for a development-driven approach, emphasizing that expansionism will not work in today's interdependent and interconnected world.

"Expansionism will not work. As I've said before, the world is interdependent and interconnected. Every nation needs one another, no one can stand alone. And from all the different forums I attend, one thing is clear: Everyone is deeply worried about these conflicts. We can only hope that peace is restored very soon," he said.

Lex Fridman's podcasts have seen several personalities from various walks of life who have discussed issues ranging from complex niches to other areas of mass understanding.

Notable figures include political leaders like US President Donald Trump, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Argentinian Prime Minister Javier Milei, as well as leading personalities in their fields, such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, Magnus Carlson, and Yuval Noah Harari.

His YouTube page has 4.8 million subscribers with over 82,00,00,000 views. (ANI)