PM Modi lands in China after seven years; to meet Xi, Putin

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tianjin on Saturday (August 30, 2025), for his first visit to China since 2018. He is set to hold bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and several other leaders before attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit on Monday (September 1, 2025).

The Prime Minister’s much-anticipated meeting with Mr. Xi on Sunday (August 31, 2025) afternoon comes amidst a marked improvement in bilateral ties against the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff war. This is the second meeting between the two leaders in less than a year, after their talks on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan last October.

Zelenskyy’s appeal

Mr. Modi’s planned meeting with Mr. Putin on Monday (September 1, 2025) has acquired additional significance as he received a phone call from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy late on Saturday (August 30, 2025), soon after landing in Tianjin.

The Ukrainian leader urged Mr. Modi to “deliver the appropriate signal to Russia and other leaders” at the SCO summit. Referring to the Russian attacks that have intensified over the past few days, Mr. Zelenskyy’s statement emphasised the “need for immediate ceasefire”. He added: “It is impossible to speak meaningfully about peace while our cities and communities are under constant fire.”

Mr. Modi is expected to meet Myanmar’s acting President Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on Sunday (August 31, 2025) and will also attend an official welcome banquet hosted by Mr. Xi for Heads of Governments and States and other dignitaries on Sunday (August 31, 2025) night.

Multilateralism and regional stability

The meeting of the SCO, one of the world’s largest regional groupings in terms of population and land mass, comes amid turbulence in global trade due to the U.S. imposition of import tariffs, including 50% on Indian goods. China, which is chairing the bloc this year, says the Tianjin Declaration will include new measures to support SCO development by practicing multilateralism and safeguarding regional stability.

Mr. Xi is expected to deliver keynote addresses at both the Heads of States meeting and at the ‘SCO plus’ meeting of member countries and dialogue partners on Monday (September 1, 2025).

Anti-terror language

India will also seek stronger commitments for anti-terrorism efforts and regional stability at the summit. In June, it had declined to endorse a joint statement at an SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting held in China, pushing for tougher language against terrorism. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had also urged the SCO not to compromise on terrorism during a meeting of the bloc’s Foreign Ministers in July 2025.

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The Prime Minister will leave for India on Monday (September 1, 2025) afternoon, while most of the leaders of the grouping, including Mr. Putin and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, are expected to stay back for Wednesday’s military parade to commemorate the Chinese victory against ‘Japanese aggression’ during World War II. Mr. Modi, who arrived in China from Japan, will not attend the parade.

Cutting-edge tech

During the summit, China will also showcase its advances in green energy, robotics, and other sectors. It has opened the Tianjin port, a State-owned enterprise that claims to have completely automated its operations, with artificial intelligence-driven driverless horizontal transportation. It has ensured zero-carbon emissions from its machinery and says it will enable ships berthing at the port to achieve the same.

The media centre for the summit also features several technological advances, including a humanoid robot, Xiaohe, to take queries, and interactive broadcast areas.

(The writer is in China on the invitation of the China Public Diplomacy Association.)