Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday departed for China to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, soon after concluding his two-day visit to Japan.
The summit, considered crucial for India, takes place against the backdrop of recent U.S. tariffs, including a 25 per cent levy on India over purchases of Russian crude oil. World leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and host Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to attend.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed the Prime Minister’s departure, noting, “A highly productive visit to Japan concludes. It has charted the way forward for deeper India-Japan cooperation. PM Narendra Modi emplanes for China to attend the SCO Summit in Tianjin.”
Alongside the multilateral summit, PM Modi is scheduled to hold two key bilateral meetings—with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The SCO currently has 10 member states, including India, Belarus, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India, which joined as a full member in 2017 after being an observer since 2005, has previously chaired the SCO Council of Heads of Government (2020) and the SCO Council of Heads of State (2022–2023).
This will mark PM Modi’s first visit to China since the Galwan Valley clashes in 2020. In recent months, India and China have made efforts to normalise ties by reopening trade routes through Lipulekh (Uttarakhand), Shipki La (Himachal Pradesh), and Nathu La (Sikkim), resuming direct flight negotiations, and facilitating visas for business and tourism.
During Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to India earlier this month, both countries agreed to enhance cooperation on global issues, uphold multilateralism, strengthen WTO-backed trade mechanisms, and work towards a multipolar world order that safeguards developing nations’ interests.
Before leaving for China, PM Modi described India’s role in the SCO as “active and constructive,” adding, “During our Presidency, we introduced new ideas and initiated collaboration in innovation, health and cultural exchanges.”
Earlier on Saturday, Modi wrapped up his Japan visit, where he attended the India-Japan Annual Summit. He hailed the outcomes as “productive” and expressed hope that bilateral ties will “scale newer heights” in the years ahead.
