Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tianjin, China on Saturday evening, ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. The summit, scheduled for Sunday and Monday, will bring together leaders from over 20 countries, including North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
The SCO gathering marks Modi’s first visit to China since 2018. This visit comes after a trip to Japan, where India secured a $68 billion investment pledge. China and India, despite being fierce rivals, have recently taken steps towards thawing relations after a deadly 2020 border clash. Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a significant meeting last October.
抵达中国天津，期待在上海合作组织峰会期间展开深入讨论，并与各国领导人会晤。 pic.twitter.com/vs59dukMND
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 30, 2025
Tianjin will also be the site of a large military parade in Beijing, set to commemorate 80 years since World War II’s end. However, Modi is not listed among the attendees for the parade. The SCO, a multilateral body that includes Russia, Pakistan, Iran, and Central Asia nations, remains a key platform for geopolitical dialogue.
Leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will participate. Bilateral talks are expected, with discussions on the Ukraine conflict and Iran’s nuclear program at the forefront.
The SCO summit signals growing collaboration between member states like China and Russia, which have used the organization to deepen ties with Central Asian countries. The upcoming discussions are set to address multiple global and regional issues, underscoring the significance of the gathering.