Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a significant bilateral meeting in Tianjin on Sunday, marking their first interaction in nearly 10 months. The discussions, lasting approximately 50 to 55 minutes, focused on strengthening India-China economic ties and normalizing relations strained since the 2020 eastern Ladakh border clash.
The meeting, held on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, gained added importance due to recent tensions in India-US relations over American trade and tariff policies. Modi, on his first China visit in seven years, emphasized the importance of India and China collaborating to stabilize the global economiccloser economic system.
Both leaders explored steps to further normalize ties and discussed resuming border trade and direct flights. Official sources indicated they might meet again later in the day due to the extensive agenda. Modi’s visit follows Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s recent trip to India, signaling ongoing efforts to mend ties post the Galwan Valley conflict.
Modi is also expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin before returning to India on Monday. The SCO summit, hosted by China, includes leaders from Russia, Pakistan, Nepal, Maldives, and other member states, making it the largest SCO summit to date.
