New Delhi/Beijing, 8 August: China on Friday extended a warm welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin later this month, expressing optimism that the event would foster solidarity, cooperation, and high-quality development among member nations.
“China welcomes Prime Minister Modi to China for the SCO Tianjin Summit,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, responding to media queries about reports of Modi’s planned trip.
The SCO Summit, scheduled for August 31 to September 1, would mark Modi’s first visit to China since 2018, when he last attended an SCO meeting in Qingdao. His visit, if confirmed, would also follow recent signs of improvement in India-China relations after a prolonged border standoff in eastern Ladakh.
“We believe that with the concerted effort of all parties, the Tianjin summit will be a gathering of solidarity, friendship and fruitful results,” Guo added, noting that the summit will include leaders from over 20 countries, SCO members, and 10 international organisations.
“This will be the largest summit in scale since the establishment of the SCO,” he said.
Modi is expected to travel to Japan around August 29, before proceeding to China. While there has been no official confirmation yet on the Prime Minister’s two-nation tour, sources in Delhi indicate that the visit is being finalised.
Thaw in strained ties
India-China ties had been under severe stress following the Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020, part of a larger military standoff in eastern Ladakh that began in May that year. The disengagement agreement, concluded on October 21, 2024, led to pullbacks at the final friction points of Depsang and Demchok.
Subsequently, both nations agreed to revive key dialogue mechanisms, including the Special Representatives’ talks on the boundary question. The decision followed a meeting between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 23, 2024, in Kazan, Russia, just two days after the disengagement pact.
Since then, efforts to rebuild trust have included:
- Resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra
- Reissuance of tourist visas to Chinese nationals by India
- Discussions to resume direct flight services
Top Indian officials including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and NSA Ajit Doval have also visited China in recent months to participate in SCO-related events.
China currently holds the rotating presidency of the SCO, a regional bloc comprising India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus.
While it remains unclear whether Modi and Xi will hold a formal bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit, the possibility has not been ruled out. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to attend the summit.
Founded in 2001, the SCO has grown into one of the world’s most influential trans-regional economic and security platforms. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, Iran in 2023, and Belarus in 2024.
