PM Modi to hold bilateral meeting with Xi Jinping on sidelines of SCO, first meet in 7 years
PTC News Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on August 31 on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Summit (SCO). PM Modi will also meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 1.
The engagements come amid US President Donald Trump's sweeping punitive tariffs on Indian exports.
The United States has recently raised tariffs sharply on several Indian exports, including steel, textiles, and agricultural products, with some duties reaching up to 50 percent. In response, India has warned of counter-tariffs and initiated consultations with the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Businesses, meanwhile, are reporting disruptions in supply chains and a decline in export volumes.
By contrast, relations with China—though still delicate—have shown tentative signs of improvement after years of strain. Ties had plunged following the deadly Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, but successive rounds of military and diplomatic talks have resulted in troop pullbacks from key friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). While heavy deployments persist, both sides have sought to limit the risk of flare-ups, and recent engagements suggest a cautious, managed easing of tensions.
This marks PM Modi’s first trip to China in more than seven years, his last visit being the informal summit with Xi Jinping in Wuhan in 2018.
His meeting with President Putin carries equal weight. With Russia under Western sanctions due to the war in Ukraine, Moscow has been working to strengthen its longstanding ties with India while also expanding its strategic alignment with China. Recently, Russia has floated the idea of trilateral talks involving India and China—a proposal expected to come up during Putin’s discussions with Modi in Tianjin.
- With inputs from agencies
