China expects ‘fruitful results’ from SCO Summit ahead of PM Modi’s arrival
PTC Web Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Tianjin, China, later this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, scheduled from August 31 to September 1. This will mark his first visit to China since 2019. The upcoming summit is expected to be the largest gathering in SCO history, with leaders from more than 20 countries and 10 international organisations taking part. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed hope that the event would foster solidarity, friendship, and meaningful outcomes among member states.
PM Modi’s trip will follow his stop in Japan, where he is scheduled to hold the India-Japan Annual Summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on August 30.
The Indian delegation's China visit comes on the heels of recent SCO-related engagements by top Indian officials, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
This summit also takes place amid ongoing global tensions, including criticism from US President Donald Trump over BRICS nations — several of which are part of the SCO — for continuing to purchase Russian oil. While Russia will be represented at the summit, it is still unclear if President Vladimir Putin will attend in person.
In June, India opted out of signing an SCO defence ministers' joint statement that omitted reference to the Pahalgam Terror Attack, which claimed 26 lives, but mentioned unrest in Balochistan, Pakistan. However, a month later, China strongly condemned the Pahalgam attack, signalling support for enhanced counterterrorism cooperation in the region.
The SCO currently includes nine member countries: India, China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
- With inputs from agencies
