Amid trade tiff with US, PM Modi visits China after 7 years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in China on Saturday for his first visit in over seven years. He is set to meet President Xi Jinping on Sunday. The trip comes amid a downturn in India-US relations, following Washington’s tariff policies that have unsettled global markets.

Modi is in Tianjin to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on August 31 and September 1, where he will also hold bilateral discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and several other world leaders. However, his talks with Xi are expected to dominate the visit, with both leaders likely to review economic ties and explore steps to stabilise further relations strained by the eastern Ladakh border standoff.

In an interview ahead of his visit, Modi told Japan’s The Yomiuri Shimbun that cooperation between India and China is vital to ensure global economic stability, reported PTI. He said predictable and constructive ties between the two Asian powers would benefit not only the region but also the wider world.

Modi’s visit follows Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s trip to India less than two weeks ago, during which measures were agreed to strengthen engagement. These included joint maintenance of peace along the border, reopening cross-border trade and resuming direct flights.

Relations between the two nations were badly hit after deadly clashes in the Galwan Valley. Both sides have since worked to reset ties, with disengagement at Demchok and Depsang finalised last October, effectively ending the border face-off.

Modi last visited China in June 2018 for the SCO summit, while Xi’s last visit to India was in October 2019 for an informal summit. The outcomes of this weekend’s talks could shape the next phase of India-China relations at a time of global economic uncertainty.