India is expected to press China for fair trade arrangements and continued access to critical imports, including rare earths, fertilisers and industrial equipment. The two sides are also set to back plans for resuming direct flights, streamlining visa processes and drawing up a calendar of events to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations.
According to sources as told to TOI in New Delhi, the Prime Minister will approach the meeting “with the intention to take the relationship forward with a long-term and strategic perspective.”
While no major announcement is expected from Tianjin, the boundary issue remains a central concern. Earlier this month, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held the 24th round of boundary talks in Delhi. Both sides described the outcome as constructive, with plans to establish an expert group to work on delimitation.
As per the TOI report, China’s military later said both countries should “jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity” on the frontier.
The timing of Modi’s visit has drawn attention as India’s trade ties with the United States have come under strain. President Donald Trump’s recent move to impose 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods has added pressure on New Delhi, making cooperation with Beijing on economic issues more important.
Modi’s message before the talks
In an interview to Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun on Friday, Modi said, “This visit comes at a crucial time for India-China relations.” He added, “Stable, predictable, and amicable relations between India and China, the two largest nations on Earth, can positively impact regional and global peace… This is also crucial for a multi-polar Asia and world.”On the state of the global economy, he noted, “The current volatility in the world economy makes it important for India and China, as two major economies, to work together to bring stability to the world economic order.”
First day in Tianjin
Modi arrived in Tianjin on Saturday evening to a warm reception. At Binhai International Airport, he was welcomed by senior Chinese officials and the Indian diaspora, who greeted him with chants of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram.”
Posting on X, Modi wrote, “Landed in Tianjin, China. Looking forward to deliberations at the SCO Summit and meeting various world leaders.”
Later, at his hotel, he attended cultural performances by Chinese artists trained in Indian music and dance, including the sitar, santoor and tabla, alongside Kathak and Odissi dance recitals.
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Meetings with Putin and Myanmar leadership
Beyond Xi, Modi is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. Their talks will cover the Ukraine conflict, global trade disruptions and the impact of US tariffs.
Modi will also meet Myanmar’s acting president and military chief Min Aung Hlaing. India, which shares a 1,600 km border with Myanmar, has kept high-level contacts limited since the 2021 coup. With elections promised in December, Modi is likely to underline the need for credible polls and an early return to democracy, while also addressing cross-border insurgency concerns.
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China’s welcome and SCO context
Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong wrote on X, “Warmly welcome Prime Minister Modi to China to attend #SCOsummit. Confident that this visit will inject new momentum into #China-India relations.”
India, an active SCO member, has used the platform to promote cooperation in health, culture and innovation. Before leaving for Tianjin, Modi said, “India remains committed to working with the SCO members to address shared challenges and deepen regional cooperation. I also look forward to meeting President Xi Jinping, President Putin and other leaders on the sidelines of the Summit.”
Modi’s visit comes days after his annual summit in Tokyo with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, where new investment agreements worth up to 68 billion dollars over the next decade were announced. He described Japan’s role in India’s development as “a symbol of progress of humanity beyond the boundaries of the earth and in space”.
Back home, India’s relations with the United States have entered one of their lowest phases in decades, strained by disputes over tariffs and criticism of India’s oil imports from Russia. This makes the outreach to China and Russia in Tianjin even more significant.
(With inputs from TOI, PTI)
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