Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit China from August 31 to September 1 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin — marking a significant step toward normalising bilateral ties strained since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash.
This will be PM Modi’s first visit to China since 2019. However, he did meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan in October 2024.
The visit comes at a time when India faces mounting pressure from the United States — with President Donald Trump imposing steep tariffs and criticising India over its oil purchases from Russia. In this context, New Delhi’s recalibration of ties with China is being seen as a strategic balancing move in response to U.S. pressure.
India’s participation in the SCO summit also comes amid concerns over China’s growing support for Pakistan and the recent shadow cast by the Pahalgam terror attack.
Back in June, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh declined to sign a joint statement at an SCO defence ministers’ meeting, objecting to the document’s omission of the April 22 Pahalgam attack — which killed 26 people — and its reference to Balochistan, indirectly accusing India of stirring unrest there.
The omission of Pahalgam from the SCO document was widely seen as influenced by Pakistan.
However, the following month, China issued a strong statement against terrorism after the United States designated The Resistance Front — a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba — as a foreign terrorist organisation for its role in the Pahalgam attack.
“China firmly opposes all forms of terrorism and strongly condemns the terrorist attack that occurred on April 22… China calls on regional countries to enhance counterterrorism cooperation and jointly maintain regional security and stability,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian.
At the upcoming SCO summit, discussions among the 10 member countries are expected to focus on terrorism, regional security, and trade. Efforts are likely to be made to restore dialogue and stability in India-China relations.
There is also a possibility of bilateral meetings between PM Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as Chinese President Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the summit.
In October 2024, PM Modi and Xi Jinping had last met at the BRICS summit in Kazan. That meeting was followed by renewed momentum to ease border tensions, and the resumption of the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra played a key role in helping normalise relations.
Formed in 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) aims to promote regional peace and cooperation. The bloc now includes 10 member states: Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. (Agencies)
