Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to hold discussions in Tianjin on August 31 during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.
The two leaders last came face-to-face in October of the previous year, after which both countries announced progress in talks aimed at easing the long-running military standoff along the Line of Actual Control.
Modi’s China visit will also include meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as leaders from Central Asian nations. Ahead of this, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had travelled to China last month, his first trip there since relations soured in 2020. During that visit, he conveyed greetings from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Modi to Xi Jinping and spoke about recent developments in bilateral ties, highlighting the importance of leadership-level guidance.
After years of friction, New Delhi and Beijing appear to be slowly steering ties back on track. Recent steps include resuming direct flights and easing visa processes for tourists, businesspersons, journalists, and other categories of travellers. These moves followed discussions between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
