PM Modi’s China Visit for SCO Summit Marks a Diplomatic Reset After Six Years
- MGMMTeam
- Aug 7
- 3 min read
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Tianjin, China, to attend the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on August 31 and September 1, 2025. This will be his first trip to China since 2019 and comes after a prolonged period of strained ties following the deadly 2020 Galwan Valley clashes. The visit is being seen as both symbolic and strategic, signalling a renewed engagement between Asia’s two largest nations.
Before heading to Tianjin, Modiji will make a brief stop in Tokyo on August 30 for the annual India–Japan Summit with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. This back-to-back diplomatic engagement underscores India’s balancing act between regional partnerships and global strategic outreach.
A Step Toward Normalisation Post-Galwan
Relations between India and China have remained tense since the violent Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, which left soldiers dead on both sides and froze high-level political dialogue. In the years that followed, military and diplomatic talks yielded only partial disengagement. However, the October 2024 meeting between Modiji and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan marked a turning point.
That meeting paved the way for disengagement at key friction points in Depsang and Demchok, and discussions on restoring broader bilateral engagement began to move forward. The Tianjin visit, therefore, represents not just participation in a multilateral forum but a cautious reopening of bilateral communication channels at the highest level.
Rebuilding People-to-People Ties
In early 2025, India resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals for the first time in five years and allowed the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra to restart. Discussions are also underway to restore direct flights between the two countries, a move that could reinvigorate business travel, tourism, and cultural exchange. These measures highlight an intent to rebuild trust and restore normalcy beyond political dialogue.
Security Concerns and Counterterrorism
India is expected to use the SCO platform to reiterate its position on terrorism. Tensions over this issue were evident earlier this year at the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao, where Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign a joint communique that omitted reference to the Pahalgam terror attack of April 2025, which killed 26 people, and instead included language on Balochistan—seen in New Delhi as pro-Pakistan rhetoric. Singh’s warning that “epicentres of terror are no longer safe” signalled India’s resolve to keep counterterrorism at the forefront of regional discussions.
Geopolitical Context: Navigating Between Beijing and Washington
The visit also comes at a time when India’s relations with the United States face challenges. Former US President Donald Trump has imposed steep tariffs on India and other BRICS countries over their continued imports of Russian oil, putting pressure on New Delhi’s trade relations with Washington. Against this backdrop, Modiji’s decision to visit China reinforces India’s stance on pursuing an independent and multi-aligned foreign policy.
Expectations from the Tianjin Summit
At the SCO Summit, Modiji is expected to meet President Xi Jinping and other member-state leaders, including those from Russia, Pakistan, and Central Asia. Discussions are likely to cover further LAC de-escalation, trade revival, cooperation in energy and technology, and mechanisms to counter cross-border terrorism. The SCO’s broader agenda will include regional security, counterterrorism cooperation, and economic integration among member nations.
The summit is also an opportunity for India to assert its role as a key player in shaping the security and economic frameworks of Eurasia, while carefully balancing its relationships with major global powers.
Conclusion: A High-Stakes Diplomatic Moment
Prime Minister Modi’s first trip to China in six years is far more than a routine multilateral engagement. It is a calculated diplomatic move aimed at signalling a willingness to re-engage with Beijing without compromising India’s core security concerns. The visit will test whether the limited progress achieved since the BRICS Summit in 2024 can be expanded into sustained dialogue, practical cooperation, and tangible de-escalation along the border.
As Modi steps into the SCO’s multilateral setting in Tianjin, the world will be watching whether India and China can find common ground in a turbulent geopolitical landscape—while maintaining their respective strategic postures.
(Sources: India Today, Mint, NDTV)
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