Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to China for the first time in seven years to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1 — a trip Beijing says could strengthen regional solidarity and deliver “fruitful results.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun on Friday welcomed the potential visit, noting that leaders from more than 20 countries, along with representatives from 10 international organizations, are slated to attend what will be the SCO’s largest gathering since its founding.
Indian media outlets, including India Today, reported earlier this week that Modi’s participation was planned before a recent spike in U.S.-China tensions. While neither New Delhi nor Beijing has officially confirmed the trip, the news has drawn international attention given the historically fraught relationship between the two Asian powers.
The Global Times, a Chinese state-affiliated newspaper, noted that ties between China and India have alternated between cooperation and confrontation over the past decade. Relations soured sharply after a deadly border clash in 2020, chilling political trust, economic exchanges, and people-to-people contact.
However, recent developments suggest a thaw. A meeting between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan last October set the tone for what both sides described as a “fresh restart.” Since June, senior Indian officials — including National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar — have visited China.
Beijing says previously suspended bilateral mechanisms are resuming, with both sides agreeing that the border dispute should not overshadow broader relations. People-to-people exchanges are also picking up, including resumed Indian pilgrimages to Tibet’s Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, and the reinstatement of tourist visas for Chinese visitors to India.
As the two nations mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties, Chinese officials argue that Modi’s potential visit could consolidate this “positive momentum” and signal that Beijing and New Delhi see each other more as partners than rivals.
