Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, marking his first visit to China since the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes.
PM Modi, currently on the second leg of his two-nation tour after visiting Japan, arrived at Binhai International Airport on Saturday to attend the 25th SCO Heads of State Council summit scheduled for August 31–September 1. He was welcomed with a cultural performance at the airport.
The Prime Minister is also expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the summit. Both leaders, along with Xi Jinping, will join the SCO discussions at a time when India faces fresh challenges after the United States imposed 50 per cent tariffs, including 25 per cent on New Delhi for purchasing Russian crude oil.
The SCO currently has 10 member states: India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus, in addition to observers and dialogue partners. India became a full member in 2017 after holding observer status since 2005. It has chaired the SCO Council of Heads of Government (2020) and the Council of Heads of State (2022–23).
In recent weeks, India and China have moved to stabilise ties. During Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit earlier in August, both sides agreed to restart direct flights, update their Air Services Agreement, and facilitate visas for tourists, businesses, media, and other categories. They also reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism, a rules-based global trading system, and closer cooperation on regional and international issues.
This high-level engagement between Modi and Xi comes amid cautious steps by both countries to rebuild trust and cooperation, four years after border tensions strained bilateral relations.
