Setting out on a two-nation visit that is being keenly tracked, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday that he will be meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit which is being held in Tianjin near Beijing from August 31 to September 1.
Modi, who left New Delhi for Tokyo Thursday night, will travel to China from Japan after a two-day visit — this will be his first visit to China in seven years – and his meeting with Xi is likely Sunday.
In a departure statement released by his office, the Prime Minister said, “India remains committed to working with the SCO members to address shared challenges and deepen regional cooperation. I also look forward to meeting President Xi Jinping, President Putin and other leaders on the sidelines of the Summit.”
His meetings with Xi and Putin will be closely watched in capitals across the world given the strain in ties between New Delhi and Washington over the issue of tariffs, India’s purchase of Russian oil and a trade deal that has hit roadblocks.
India and China have been taking steps to repair ties after a five-year military standoff along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh following Chinese incursions. Modi and Xi last met on October 23, 2024 on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan. That meeting resulted in disengagement of troops from two key friction points in eastern Ladakh, followed by talks leading to the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, Indian visas for Chinese tourists and steps for revival of direct flights between the two countries.
These efforts to repair ties did take a hit in May when India came across evidence of active Chinese assistance to the Pakistan military during the hostilities that followed Operation Sindoor.
On August 19, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Modi in Delhi and handed him an invitation from Xi.
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On Thursday, in a statement before leaving for Japan and China, Modi said, “At the invitation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, I am embarking on a two-day visit to Japan for the 15th Annual Summit. During my visit, we would focus on shaping the next phase in our Special Strategic and Global Partnership, which has made steady and significant progress over the past eleven years.”
“We would endeavour to give new wings to our collaboration, expand scope and ambition of our economic and investment ties, and advance cooperation in new and emerging technologies, including AI and semiconductors. The visit will also be an opportunity to strengthen our civilisational bonds and cultural ties that connect our peoples,” he said.
“From Japan, I will travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Tianjin, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. India is an active and constructive member of SCO. During our Presidency, we have introduced new ideas and initiated collaboration in the fields of innovation, health and cultural exchanges. India remains committed to working with the SCO members to address shared challenges and deepen regional cooperation. I also look forward to meeting President Xi Jinping, President Putin and other leaders on the sidelines of the Summit.”
“I am confident that my visits to Japan and China would further our national interests and priorities, and contribute to building fruitful cooperation in advancing regional and global peace, security, and sustainable development,” Modi said.
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India has been a member of the SCO since 2017. It held the presidency of the Council of Heads of State of SCO during 2022-23.
Modi last travelled to China for the SCO summit in Qingdao in June 2018. The visit this weekend marks an important step towards normalisation of ties that plummeted after the border standoff.
India and China have agreed to establish at least three border mechanisms, resume border trade and issue visas to Chinese nationals as part of the normalisation process. Earlier, as part of the first steps, the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra was resumed. The two sides have also decided to resume direct flights between the two countries.
The difficult issue of de-escalation in eastern Ladakh still remains and the two sides have agreed to move forward on that as well. An estimated 50,000 to 60,000 troops are stationed on either side of the LAC in the region.
