SCO Summit: PM Modi arrives in China, scheduled to meet President Xi and Putin

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tianjin, China, on Saturday, for attending the annual SCO Summit on August 31 and September 1. PM Modi was received by China’s Minister for Industry and Information Technology Li Lecheng, Tianjin Government Director Yu Yunlin, and Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong. PM Modi is visiting China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin. It is PM Modi’s first trip to China in seven years. During the visit, he will meet President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other leaders on the sidelines of the summit. The SCO summit has assumed more significance in the backdrop of the global economic turmoil triggered by the tariffs imposed on all countries by US President Donald Trump that have led to the recent turbulence in India’s relations with the US, after Washington imposed steep 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports.

Earlier, PM Modi had embarked for China to attend the SCO Summit after concluding his visit to Japan. The SCO Summit is crucial for India, as it comes after the 50 per cent tariffs, including a 25 per cent tariff for buying Russian crude oil, imposed by the US came into effect.

PM Modi will join leaders of the 10-member SCO bloc for the annual summit on August 31 and September 1. PM Modi’s bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping is also expected to be closely watched, given the recent thaw in India-China ties.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with the host, Chinese President Xi Jinping, will also be attending the summit.

The PM's visit for SCO Summit may also result in a reset of Sino-Indian ties that hit a new low after the deadly 2020 Galwan Valley clashes. However, the recent diplomatic exchanges between the two countries amid global economic strife signal an attempt at rebuilding trust.

Despite frictions, China remains India’s second-largest trading partner, and New Delhi’s manufacturing ambitions continue to rely on Chinese components and raw materials.