Key Points

Members of the Indian diaspora in Tianjin welcomed PM Modi with great enthusiasm upon his arrival at a hotel in the city.

PM Modi landed at Binhai International Airport in Tianjin on Saturday for his two-day official visit and was greeted by senior Chinese and Indian officials.

At the hotel, members of the Indian community gathered to welcome him, while artists staged a cultural performance.

The Prime Minister Modi will participate in the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on Sunday, August 31, and hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines. He is also scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during the course of the summit.

The SCO summit is crucial for India, as it comes after the US's 50 per cent tariffs took effect. Of these, a 25 per cent tariff was imposed on New Delhi for buying Russian crude oil.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with the host, Chinese President Xi Jinping, will also be attending the summit.

The SCO comprises 10 members.

In addition to India, they include Belarus, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. There are also several dialogue partners and observers. India has been a member of the SCO since 2017, having been an observer since 2005. During its membership period, India has held the chair of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in 2020 and of the SCO Council of Heads of State from 2022 to 2023.

This will be PM Modi's first visit to China following the Galwan Valley clashes in 2020. Recently, India and China have taken several steps to improve their bilateral relationship, including the resumption of trade through the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, the Shipki La Pass in Himachal Pradesh, and the Nathu La Pass in Sikkim.

During the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on August 18-19, both sides agreed to resume direct flight connectivity between the Chinese mainland and India at the earliest opportunity and finalise an updated Air Services Agreement.

They also agreed on facilitating visas for tourists, businesses, media, and other visitors in both directions.

Both sides agreed to uphold multilateralism, enhance communication on major international and regional issues, maintain a rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, and promote a multipolar world that safeguards the interests of developing countries.

- ANI