Republic Day greetings pour in as Trump, Xi underline India's global role

From Washington to Beijing, global leaders congratulated India on its 77th Republic Day, with messages from Donald Trump and Xi Jinping reflecting democratic values, regional cooperation

World leaders on Monday congratulated India on its 77th Republic Day, with US President Donald Trump stating that the two countries share a historic bond as the world’s oldest and largest democracies.

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his message, described India and China as “good neighbours, friends and partners”.

 

In his message to President Droupadi Murmu, Xi said achieving “dragon and elephant dancing together” was the right choice for both countries. The Chinese President expressed hope that both sides would adhere to the important consensus that China and India are “partners for cooperation and opportunities for development”, strengthen strategic communication, expand exchanges and cooperation, address each other’s concerns, and promote the healthy and stable development of China-India relations.

 

India-China relations have recovered from the strain caused by the border conflict of 2020, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi having visited China in August 2025 -- his first visit to the country since 2018. Xi’s message on Monday indicated that Beijing believes bilateral relations have improved. The Chinese President’s message on Monday was similar to the one he sent on April 1, 2025, to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. At that time, he noted that China and India, as ancient civilisations, major developing countries and important members of the Global South, were both at a critical stage of modernisation, and referred to the “Dragon-Elephant Tango”. 

 

In his message, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke of India-US “close cooperation on defence, energy, critical minerals and emerging technologies to our multi-layered engagement through the Quad, the US-India relationship delivers real results for our two countries and for the Indo-Pacific region”.

 

“I look forward to working together to advance our shared objectives in the year ahead,” Rubio said in a statement.

 

Neither Trump nor Rubio referred to India-US trade relations, which are strained due to the White House imposing a punitive 50 per cent duty on Indian goods and the lack of progress in trade deal negotiations.

 

Last year, Rubio had stated that the US and India partnership continues to reach new heights and would be a defining relationship of the 21st century. He had then specifically mentioned the India-US economic relationship. “The enduring friendship between our two peoples is the bedrock of our cooperation and propels us forward as we realize the tremendous potential of our economic relationship,” he had stated, and added that the two countries would continue to advance their joint efforts in space research and coordination within the Quad to promote a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

 

In New Delhi, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who attended the Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path, said: “Thrilled to see the US-made aircraft soaring in the Indian sky, a powerful symbol of the strength of the US-India strategic partnership.”

 

US-origin transport aircraft C-130J and Apache helicopters were among the aerial platforms featured in the parade

 

On the occasion of India’s Republic Day, the Governors of Alaska, Nebraska, South Dakota and Washington issued proclamations congratulating India and highlighting ties in agriculture, trade, technology, cultural exchange and education. A trade mission from the state of Washington is scheduled to visit India from January 29 to February 7. The Consulate General of India in Seattle hosted the second edition of the Invest India Business Forum at the Bell Harbor International Conference Centre on Saturday.

 

In his congratulatory message to President Murmu, King Charles of the United Kingdom said the two countries would come together at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda in November. He also congratulated Ahmedabad for securing the 2030 Commonwealth Games and commended India’s initiative, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.

 

“See you in February,” said French President Emmanuel Macron in his message. He is slated to visit New Delhi to attend the AI (Artificial Intelligence) World Summit in mid-February.

 

A large group of international Monks and Nuns representing 40 countries attending the Global Buddhist Summit will be India’s honoured guests at this year’s Republic Day Parade.