‘Panchsheel must be cherished’: What is the agreement between India-China, its 5 principles
Modi-Xi meet: The Chinese President said that India and China must not let border issues dictate their relationship.
- Sep 1, 2025,
- Updated Sep 1, 2025 8:11 AM IST
After holding bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the SCO Summit in China, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the Panchsheel tenets should be upheld and promoted by both the countries.
As per an official statement issued by the country’s foreign ministry, Xi Jinping said, “The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, advocated by the older generation of Chinese and Indian leaders over 70 years ago, must be cherished and promoted. We must work together to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and not let the border issue define the overall China-India relationship.”
He highlighted the need to jointly demonstrate the countries’ “historical responsibility, uphold multilateralism, strengthen communication and cooperation on major international and regional issues, uphold international fairness and justice, and jointly promote a multipolar world and democratisation of international relations, making due contributions to maintaining peace and prosperity in Asia and beyond”.
WHAT IS THE PANCHSHEEL AGREEMENT AND ITS 5 PRINCIPLES?
The Panchsheel Agreement was signed between India and China on April 29, 1954. It was formally known as the Agreement on Trade and Intercourse with the Tibet Region. The agreement introduced the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence that would have formulated a framework for both countries to take their relationship forward.
The five principles under Panchsheel are:
- Mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty
- Mutual non-aggression
- Mutual non-interference
- Equality and mutual benefit
- Peaceful co-existence
However, the bilateral ties between India and China have been rather strained in recent years, and nothing like the Panchsheel once envisioned. After the 2017 Doklam standoff, relations took a nosedive. Later the Galwan valley clash in 2020 halted all bilateral affairs between both the nations.
The bilateral meeting between Xi and Modi in China is touted as a positive development as both sides seek to resolve the differences and disputes. These talks were also held in the backdrop of the tariff war initiated by US President Donald Trump. India has been slapped with the highest tariffs of 50 per cent. In a tit-for-tat tariff war, the US had imposed 145 per cent tariffs on China, which for now have been suspended for 90 days.
After holding bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the SCO Summit in China, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the Panchsheel tenets should be upheld and promoted by both the countries.
As per an official statement issued by the country’s foreign ministry, Xi Jinping said, “The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, advocated by the older generation of Chinese and Indian leaders over 70 years ago, must be cherished and promoted. We must work together to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and not let the border issue define the overall China-India relationship.”
He highlighted the need to jointly demonstrate the countries’ “historical responsibility, uphold multilateralism, strengthen communication and cooperation on major international and regional issues, uphold international fairness and justice, and jointly promote a multipolar world and democratisation of international relations, making due contributions to maintaining peace and prosperity in Asia and beyond”.
WHAT IS THE PANCHSHEEL AGREEMENT AND ITS 5 PRINCIPLES?
The Panchsheel Agreement was signed between India and China on April 29, 1954. It was formally known as the Agreement on Trade and Intercourse with the Tibet Region. The agreement introduced the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence that would have formulated a framework for both countries to take their relationship forward.
The five principles under Panchsheel are:
- Mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty
- Mutual non-aggression
- Mutual non-interference
- Equality and mutual benefit
- Peaceful co-existence
However, the bilateral ties between India and China have been rather strained in recent years, and nothing like the Panchsheel once envisioned. After the 2017 Doklam standoff, relations took a nosedive. Later the Galwan valley clash in 2020 halted all bilateral affairs between both the nations.
The bilateral meeting between Xi and Modi in China is touted as a positive development as both sides seek to resolve the differences and disputes. These talks were also held in the backdrop of the tariff war initiated by US President Donald Trump. India has been slapped with the highest tariffs of 50 per cent. In a tit-for-tat tariff war, the US had imposed 145 per cent tariffs on China, which for now have been suspended for 90 days.