Tianjin: Prime Minister Narendra Modi began talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin, ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. The meeting carries immense diplomatic weight against the backdrop of shifting global economic equations and efforts to stabilise strained India-China ties. This is PM Modi’s first visit to China since the deadly Galwan Valley clashes of June 2020 that left relations between the two Asian neighbours severely frayed.
PM Modi is accompanied by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. The bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi, scheduled for about 40 minutes, focused on reviewing economic ties, exploring avenues to normalise relations, and evaluating recent confidence-building measures along the disputed border.
Modi landed in China on Saturday for the two-day SCO summit in Tianjin, located about 120 km from Beijing. His visit comes after a seven-year gap and less than a fortnight after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s trip to New Delhi, which paved the way for new initiatives to stabilise bilateral ties. Following Wang’s discussions with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and NSA Doval, both sides announced measures such as joint maintenance of peace along the frontier, reopening of border trade, and early resumption of direct flights.
In the lead-up to his visit, Modi highlighted the global stakes of India-China cooperation. In an interview to Japan’s The Yomiuri Shimbun, he said, “Given the current volatility in the world economy, it is important for India and China, as two major economies, to work together to bring stability to the world economic order.” Modi added that predictable and amicable relations between the two countries could positively impact both regional and global peace and prosperity.
The timing of the talks is crucial, with Washington’s ongoing tariff wars creating ripples across global markets. India, too, has faced economic headwinds from US trade policies under former President Donald Trump, giving added significance to Modi’s outreach in Tianjin.
Sunday’s meeting is also seen as a follow-up in the context of the recent Kazan BRICS summit in October 2024, where Modi and Xi last interacted. That meeting led to troop disengagement at two critical friction points in eastern Ladakh, resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, issuance of Indian visas for Chinese tourists, and steps toward reviving direct flight services.
The SCO summit itself is expected to deliberate on pressing global issues, from economic cooperation to regional security. The grouping, which now includes 10 full members — India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan — is viewed by New Delhi as an important multilateral platform, particularly as the US raises tariffs up to 50 per cent, further destabilising trade flows.
Modi signalled the centrality of the multilateral forum in a post on X, stating, “Landed in Tianjin, China. Looking forward to deliberations at the SCO Summit and meeting various world leaders.” While his trip is officially for the summit, the bilateral with Xi Jinping may set the tone for a new chapter in India-China relations aimed towards stability, cooperation, and forward-looking engagement.