PM Modi in China for SCO Summit; Meets Xi, Putin Talks Ahead

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tianjin, northern China, on Saturday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, his first visit to the country in seven years. The summit runs from August 31 to September 1.

Modi held a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the gathering, the two leaders’ first encounter since the 2024 BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia. The meeting, scheduled for about 40 minutes, comes amid efforts to reset strained India-China ties and as New Delhi faces tariff-related tensions with Washington.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is also in Tianjin. Modi is expected to meet him on Monday after the SCO summit to discuss trade and defence cooperation, U.S. pressure over India’s Russian oil imports, and preparations for Putin’s annual visit to India in December, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov confirmed.

Indian officials said New Delhi expects the SCO to issue a strong condemnation of cross-border terrorism, consistent with the bloc’s founding principles. The SCO was established in 2001 by China, Russia and Central Asian states, with India joining as a full member in 2017.

Other attendees include Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly. Modi will attend a welcome banquet on Sunday, while the leaders’ summit is scheduled for Monday.