Xi Jinping wrote a 'secret letter' to President Murmu amid trade war with US: Report

When China faced an intense trade war waged by US President Donald Trump in March, Beijing quietly reached out to New Delhi. Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote a letter to his Indian counterpart Droupadi Murmu to test whether India was willing to improve bilateral ties following the deadly 2020 Galwan Valley clash between Chinese and Indian troops, reported Bloomberg.

XI’s concern over Indo-US deal

The report further stated that in the letter, Xi expressed concern about the prospect of any US deals that would have an adverse effect on China’s interests. The Chinese President also appointed a provincial officer to lead Beijing’s efforts in this regard.

However, it was only in June when the Modi government swung into action to improve ties with China. This assumes significance as it was at that time that New Delhi was grappling with Trump’s claim of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following the military conflict that started after India’s Operation Sindoor.

Also Read: PM Modi arrives in Japan, to visit China next: What’s on agenda?

Indo-China reconciliation gathers momentum

By August, the reconciliation of ties between India and China had started to gather momentum. Stung by Trump’s tariffs, both countries decided to take bilateral talks forward and move beyond the 2020 Galwan Valley clash. The Prime Minister is set to make his first trip to China for the SCO summit in seven years.

The report further stated that the warming ties between India and China have implications for the US, which, under the previous administration, has carefully nurtured its ties with India in a bid to place it as a “counterweight” to an increasingly assertive China.

However, the scenario changed drastically with Trump first slapping 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs on India, followed by another 25 per cent of retaliatory tariffs for India’s purchase of Russian oil, which Washington claims was funding Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Also Read: SCO summit in China to host Modi, Putin to showcase Xi’s 'Global South' vision

‘Modi exploring ways to boost Indo-China ties’

According to the Bloomberg report, the Prime Minister had been “quietly exploring” ways to mend ties with China. “Facing an election at the time, Modi’s officials argued that improved ties with Beijing would benefit a wobbling economy as concerns mounted over the cost of keeping forces stationed along the remote 3,488-kilometre (2,167 miles) unmarked border, people familiar with his administration’s thinking said,” stated the report.

It further stated that since mid-2023, India and China have ironed out most of their differences over pulling back troops along the border.

Also Read: What India can learn from Brazil, others facing Trump’s tariff tantrums

‘Dragon-elephant tango’

The report stated that soon after Xi’s letter to Murmu, Beijing, the Chinese leader celebrated the relationship, describing it as a “dragon-elephant tango.”

“National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is driving the engagement as one of the few Indian officials with trusted, direct channels to China’s top leadership, one of the people familiar said. Doval is serving as India’s special representative for border talks, and travelled to China in both December 2024 and June 2025,” added the report.

Also Read: India’s resurgent ties with China temporary, or for keeps?

Warming trade ties

During his visit to China in July, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar urged his Chinese counterpart in an indirect reference to China’s recent curbs on rare earths to avoid “restrictive trade measures and roadblocks”.

“ China assured India of supplies of fertiliser and rare earths during the meeting, officials in New Delhi said at the time,” stated the report.

“In the weeks that followed, there’s been a succession of incremental steps to improve ties. Direct flights between the two are set to resume as early as next month. Beijing has eased curbs on urea shipments to India. And Modi’s government allowed tourist visas for Chinese nationals after years of curbs,” it added.