3 min readNew DelhiMar 27, 2026 03:40 AM IST
As important members of the Global South, India and China should strengthen communication and coordination, jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and lead the Global South toward greater development, Chinese envoy Xu Feihong said on Thursday.
Addressing the 4th China-India Youth Dialogue, the Chinese ambassador to India said, “In a world of transformation and turbulence, unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, and hegemonism and power politics prevail, severely undermining the existing international order. As important members of the Global South, China and India should strengthen communication and coordination, jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and lead the Global South toward greater development.”
This assumes significance in the wake of the ongoing war in West Asia where US and Israel have attacked Iran, and Iran counter-attacking US bases, facilities and personnel in the Gulf countries besides energy infrastructure being targeted by both sides.
“We should carry forward the ‘Eastern wisdom’ of peaceful coexistence and mutual learning, and prevent the world from reverting to the law of the jungle. We should also enhance multilateral cooperation, support each other in assuming the BRICS presidency, and work together to build a community with a shared future for humanity,” he added.
Consensus on the Iran issue has been elusive and the BRICS has not been able to come up with a statement on the situation since Saudi Arabia, UAE and Iran are its members. China and India make up the original five members of the BRICS grouping, apart from Russia, Brazil and South Africa.
“We encourage young people from both countries to actively participate in activities under multilateral frameworks such as BRICS and the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation), and to contribute your youthful energy to China-India cooperation in the multilateral arena and to world peace and stability,” the Chinese envoy said.
He also said that “China and India are neighbours that cannot be moved apart. It should be the right choice for both sides to be good neighbourly friends and partners that help each other succeed, and realise the ‘Dragon-Elephant Tango’.”
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He said, “However, some people are unwilling to see China and India live in harmony. They deliberately amplify our differences, hype up the so-called ‘China threat’, and hope to profit from discord between our two countries. In the face of a complex and changing landscape, young people should think independently and step out of the ‘information cocoon’.”
The Chinese envoy said, “You may always ask yourselves: what kind of relationship do our peoples truly need? What can China-India cooperation bring to our two countries and to the world? We welcome more young people from India to visit China, see it with your own eyes, experience the vitality of Chinese modernisation, share stories of China-India friendship, and help build a more objective and rational understanding between our peoples.”
