China Welcomes PM Modi For SCO Summit, Move Generates A Frest Wave Of Closer Ties

Beijing: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit China for the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, a trip that marks his first visit to the country since the 2020 Galwan clash. The two-day summit, scheduled for August 31 and September 1 in the city of Tianjin, is being hailed by Beijing as an opportunity to foster closer ties between the two nations.
China’s welcoming tone for PM Modi’s visit comes amidst heightened global concerns over tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun welcomed the visit, stating that the Tianjin summit will be the largest in scale since the SCO’s establishment and is expected to be a “gathering of solidarity, friendship and fruitful results.” The regional bloc, which was founded in 2001 to promote stability through cooperation, currently includes 10 members: Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The summit will bring together the heads of all member states, along with leaders from 10 international organizations. The upcoming visit holds significant geopolitical importance. It is PM Modi’s first time on Chinese soil since the Galwan clash in 2020 strained relations between the two neighbors. His last official visit was in 2019, although he did meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan in October 2024. That meeting helped to reduce tensions and paved the way for diplomatic momentum. On the sidelines of the SCO summit, PM Modi is anticipated to hold key bilateral meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. These discussions are particularly significant as India faces hefty tariffs from the US for its purchases of Russian crude oil. The tariffs, according to the provided information, have brought India and China closer, with Jinping previously telling Indian President Droupadi Murmu that the two nations must work more closely together. The summit takes place against the backdrop of Chinese support for Pakistan and the unresolved Pahalgam terror attack. A prior SCO defence ministers’ summit saw India’s Rajnath Singh refusing to sign a joint statement after it mentioned Balochistan but failed to address the Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives. The outcome of the discussions at the Tianjin summit, particularly any joint statements or bilateral agreements, will be closely watched for signs of progress on these sensitive issues.