Amid speculation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may travel to China next month for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, and following External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on 15 July 2025 his first visit to China since the 2020 border tensions, the Congress party has seized the moment to push a narrative alleging a clandestine relationship between the Modi government and China.
Dr. Jaishankar conveyed greetings from both President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Modi during his meeting with Xi, which Congress quickly spun into a political attack.
Called on President Xi Jinping this morning in Beijing along with my fellow SCO Foreign Ministers.
Conveyed the greetings of President Droupadi Murmu & Prime Minister @narendramodi.
Apprised President Xi of the recent development of our bilateral ties. Value the guidance of… pic.twitter.com/tNfmEzpJGl
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 15, 2025
From its official X account, the Congress party mocked the meeting by posting a picture of Modi greeting Xi Jinping with the caption: “Old friendship endures,” and added sarcastically, “It’s not about a ‘red eye,’ but a matter of a ‘red flower.’ PM Modi, a lover of China, has old ties with China.” (Laal Aankh Nahi Per Laal Phool Ka Mamla Hai. China Premi PM Modi. China Se Inka Purana Naata Hai)
पुराना याराना है pic.twitter.com/wmeL6Xiwz7
— Congress (@INCIndia) July 15, 2025
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also chimed in, taking a dig at the foreign policy with his precious spare time and wrote, “I guess the Chinese foreign minister will come and apprise Modi about recent developments in China-India ties. The EAM is now running a full blown circus aimed at destroying India’s foreign policy.”
I guess the Chinese foreign minister will come and apprise Modi about recent developments in China-India ties.
The EAM is now running a full blown circus aimed at destroying India’s foreign policy. pic.twitter.com/bHbWOemxpe
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 15, 2025
Hypocrisy, Thy Name Is Congress
However, while Congress now claims to be alert to China ties, it has a long record of openly engaging with Chinese officials sometimes far more warmly than the current government. From Jawaharlal Nehru’s ill-fated “Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai” slogan that ended in war, to the more recent decades under Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Congress leaders have consistently maintained close and even questionable associations with Chinese authorities.
China Donation To Rajiv Gandhi Foundation
In 2005, for instance, the Chinese Ambassador to India, Sun Yuxi, donated ₹10 lakh to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) on behalf of the China Charity Foundation. According to a statement from the Chinese side in January 2006, “To show the friendly sentiments of the Chinese people towards the Indian people, Mr. Sun Yuxi, Chinese Ambassador to India, on behalf of China Charity Foundation, donated 10 lakhs rupees to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation on January 27 to give financial assistance to its charities. Mr. Manmohan Malhoutra, Secretary-General of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation expressed thanks and promised to inform the Chinese Embassy of the utilization of the sum of money for charity.”
Meetings With Chinese Leaders
Between 2005 and 2010, then-Congress President Sonia Gandhi held multiple meetings with top Chinese leaders, including Wen Jiabao, Xi Jinping, Wang Jiarui, and Yu Zhengsheng well-documented visits that received little scrutiny at the time.
Collaboration Between Rajiv Gandhi Foundation & Chinese Govt-Affiliated Institutions
In 2004, the RGF even collaborated with Chinese government-affiliated institutions to host events. Notably, they co-organized a book launch with the China Association for International Friendly Contact (CAIFC) an organization widely linked to Chinese intelligence networks. A statement from the Chinese Embassy described the event as follows, “At the invitation of Indian Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF), a delegation from the China Association for International Friendly Contact (CAIFC) headed by Vice President Xing Yunming paid a visit to India from July 14 to 21. On July 21, the delegation and RGF jointly hosted a book release function entitled “Future Negotiation Issues at WTO: An India-China Perspective ” in New Delhi. Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath and Chinese Ambassador to India Hua Junduo were present at the ceremony. Minister Nath spoke highly of the contributions made by RGF and CAIFC to improve friendship and cooperation between the two countries. This time they chose an important research topic and made achievements. He noted that both as WTO members and big developing countries, India and China had many shared interests and were facing many common challenges. It was necessary for India and China to strengthen coordination and cooperation so that WTO could safeguard the interests of developing countries including India and China in a fairer and more effective way. Ambassador Hua also delivered a speech at the ceremony. After the ceremony, the RGF Chairperson and Indian Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi warmly met with the delegation at her residence.”
In light of these past associations, Congress’s current attacks on the Modi government for diplomatic engagement with China come across as politically opportunistic and steeped in hypocrisy. While dialogue with China is a necessary part of foreign policy for any Indian government, the selective outrage and short memory displayed by Congress raises more questions than answers.
(This article is based on an X Thread By Political Kida)
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