Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in China on Saturday, marking his first visit to the country in over seven years. He will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and hold bilateral discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Modi arrived in Tianjin after concluding a trip to Japan, where he strengthened cooperation in areas such as transport, space, and trade. The prime minister is scheduled to remain in China until September 1.
During his visit, he is expected to review India-China economic ties with Xi and explore measures to further normalise relations.
The SCO summit comes amid concerns over the 50% US tariffs on Indian goods, which took effect on Wednesday.
In addition to meetings with Xi, Modi is likely to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders on the sidelines of the summit. The Kremlin has stated that discussions with Putin will include preparations for the Russian president’s visit to India in December.
Ahead of his China visit, Modi told Japan’s daily Yomiuri Shimbun that stable and predictable India-China relations could positively influence both regional and global peace and prosperity.
Modi last visited China in June 2018 for the SCO summit, while Xi Jinping made a visit to India in October 2019 for their second “informal summit.” This trip is Modi’s first to China since the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes.
Recently, both countries have taken steps to normalise relations, including reopening trade routes via the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, Shipki La Pass in Himachal Pradesh, and Nathu La Pass in Sikkim.
