PM Modi Arrives in China for SCO Summit, First Visit in 7 Years

For the first time in over seven years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tianjin, China, on Saturday. His journey follows a fruitful two-day visit to Japan, where he deepened connections in trade, space exploration, and transportation.

PM Modi will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a high-level bilateral meeting and attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit while in China, which ends on September 1. It is anticipated that both leaders will examine economic ties and look into ways to further normalise relations between the two Asian superpowers.

Global economic tensions are present at the summit, particularly in light of the US's recent 50% tariffs on Indian goods that went into effect earlier this week. On the fringes of the SCO meeting, PM Modi is also expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a number of other leaders. Putin and Modi will talk about getting ready for Putin's December visit to India, the Kremlin confirmed.

PM Modi emphasised that "stable, predictable, and amicable relations between India and China can have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity" in a recent interview with Japan's The Yomiuri Shimbun.

Modi's first visit to China following the clashes in the Galwan Valley in 2020 makes this visit noteworthy as well. Resuming trade through the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, Shipki La in Himachal Pradesh, and Nathu La in Sikkim are among the measures China and India have taken in recent months to reduce tensions.

While President Xi last visited India in 2019 for the second informal summit in Mamallapuram, PM Modi last travelled to China in 2018 for the SCO summit.

With important bilateral and regional meetings scheduled, PM Modi's visit is anticipated to have a significant impact on how India-China relations develop and how the SCO bloc develops in the future.