The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday strongly dismissed a Bloomberg report that claimed Chinese President Xi Jinping had sent a “secret letter” to Indian President Droupadi Murmu as part of a covert diplomatic outreach. The Indian government clarified that the report was baseless and no such communication had been received from the Chinese leadership.

According to Bloomberg, the alleged letter was described as a backchannel initiative by China to test India’s willingness to ease tensions and reset bilateral relations. The report suggested that President Xi’s note had also named a provincial-level Chinese leader to act as a liaison point for future engagement with New Delhi. However, the MEA categorically denied these claims.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing media queries, said, “We have seen the Bloomberg report and can confirm that the story about the letter is incorrect.” He emphasized that no such correspondence had ever reached Rashtrapati Bhavan or the ministry and called the report factually misleading.

The controversy comes at a sensitive time in India-China relations, which remain strained following the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes and the ongoing border standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Despite multiple rounds of military and diplomatic talks, both nations continue to deploy heavy security presence in disputed border regions.

India has consistently maintained that normalizing ties with China depends on restoring peace along the border. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated that the resolution of boundary issues is central to improving bilateral relations. On the other hand, China has often expressed interest in strengthening trade and economic cooperation while avoiding direct references to the LAC crisis.

The Bloomberg report, therefore, sparked widespread speculation about whether Beijing was attempting a new, discreet channel of communication with India’s leadership. However, with the MEA’s outright denial, the matter has now been put to rest, underlining New Delhi’s stand that no such overture has been made and reports suggesting otherwise are misleading.

The rejection of the “secret letter” story also reflects India’s cautious approach to narratives emerging from international media outlets on issues of strategic and diplomatic sensitivity. Experts believe that such speculative reports, if unverified, can create confusion about the direction of India-China relations at a time when both nations are carefully navigating regional and global challenges.