India and China are currently in discussions about a possible visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit scheduled for August 31 to September 1. Although no official announcement has been made, government sources indicate that preparations are underway for India’s participation in the summit, which will be hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to attend.
In addition to the China visit, Modi is also likely to travel to Tokyo for the annual India Japan summit. Once India’s participation is officially confirmed, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit India to coordinate the agenda for a possible bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi on the sidelines of the summit. Wang is also likely to participate in Special Representative talks with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval concerning the long-standing boundary issue.
Modi last visited China in June 2018, also for an SCO summit. While India’s backing for the Eurasian bloc has not been unconditional, the government views it as a valuable platform for engaging with Central Asia and addressing regional security concerns, particularly in Afghanistan. The SCO is also considered by some as a counterbalance to Western alliances and offers India a stage to exercise strategic autonomy.
If the visit takes place, it will come at a time when India is facing a growing trade standoff with the United States. Recently, former US President Donald Trump announced an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian goods due to India’s ongoing trade with Russia, adding to an already strained bilateral relationship.
Should Modi go ahead with the China trip, a bilateral meeting with President Putin is also expected. Modi is also likely to host Putin in India later this year for the annual India Russia summit.
This visit would mark Modi’s second formal meeting with Xi since the Chinese president visited India in 2019 for the second informal summit. The two leaders last met in October last year on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, where they agreed to pursue high-level engagements and prevent differences from escalating into disputes.
Several high-level Indian visits to China have followed since, including by Doval, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. These meetings have focused on mutual demands such as resuming the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage and restarting tourist visas.
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