Xu, who arrived in New Delhi three weeks ago to fill an 18-month vacancy, was among seven envoys who presented their letters of credence to Indian President Droupadi Murmu at the presidential residence on Friday.
Since then, China and India have carried out several rounds of military talks and have disengaged from four points along the border.
But ties remain frosty, and the two sides have steadily built up military capabilities in the border region.
This is believed to be the biggest deployment of J-20 jets near China’s border with India captured on commercially available satellite images.
In March, Bloomberg reported that India had deployed 10,000 soldiers from the country’s western border to patrol the disputed frontier with China.
He also called for the two sides to explore ways for “major neighbouring countries to get along well with each other”.
According to the Chinese embassy in India, Xu also paid a courtesy call to Murmu, during which the ambassador called for joint efforts to “enhance political mutual trust, manage differences properly, and advance mutual beneficial cooperation so as to bring China-India relations forward along the right track”.
Xu, who arrived in New Delhi three weeks ago to fill an 18-month vacancy, was among seven envoys who presented their letters of credence to Indian President Droupadi Murmu at the presidential residence on Friday.
Xu’s appointment, which was announced in early May, filled the post’s longest vacancy since 1976. His predecessor, Sun Weidong, left in November 2022 and took a vice-ministerial role at the foreign ministry in Beijing.
Ties between the two Asian powers have deteriorated sharply since 2020, after the Chinese and Indian militaries clashed at multiple locations along their disputed Himalayan border, resulting in casualties on both sides.
Since then, China and India have carried out several rounds of military talks and have disengaged from four points along the border. But ties remain frosty, and the two sides have steadily built up military capabilities in the border region.
Citing satellite images taken on Monday, Indian broadcaster NDTV reported that China had deployed six J-20 stealth fighter jets – its most advanced – at a dual-use military and civilian airport in Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet autonomous region. Shigatse is less than 150km (93 miles) from China’s border with India’s Sikkim state.
This is believed to be the biggest deployment of J-20 jets near China’s border with India captured on commercially available satellite images. In 2020, two J-20 fighters were reportedly visible at the Hotan airbase in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, about 320km from the disputed region of Aksai Chin.
Meanwhile, India has stepped up its military presence near the border. In March, Bloomberg reported that India had deployed 10,000 soldiers from the country’s western border to patrol the disputed frontier with China.
Last month, the Indian army said it had set up two high-altitude tank repair facilities in the eastern region of Ladakh, including one just 25km from the border with China.
However, there have been hopes of a thaw between the two Asian rivals as Modi is expected to secure a third term as prime minister and resume diplomatic activities soon after election results are announced on June 4.
01:20 Chinese President Xi Jinping to skip G20 summit in New Delhi, India Chinese President Xi Jinping to skip G20 summit in New Delhi, India
In an April interview with Newsweek, the 73-year-old Modi, who came to power a decade ago, said India and China should urgently address the “prolonged situation” on their border.
According to Indian news portal Firstpost.com, the diplomatic agenda for the newly elected prime minister is expected to include the Group of 7 summit in Italy from June 13 to 15 as well as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kazakhstan in July, where he might meet Xi.
In 2017 India joined the SCO – a Eurasian bloc formed by China, Russia and four Central Asian states focused on counterterrorism as well as political and economic cooperation.
Xi and Modi last met briefly on the sidelines of the Brics summit in Johannesburg in August.
