Key Points

The two leaders held discussions as they met ahead of the SCO Summit scheduled to begin later today.

The two leaders had last met this April on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok.

Myanmar's military government has announced that long-promised elections will begin on December 28, the first polls in the war-torn country in nearly five years. A 2021 coup unseated an elected civilian government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Meanwhile, PM Modi today in Tianjin also met Chinese Communist Party top leader Cai Qi. Sharing the details of the meeting on X, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "PM @narendramodi met Politburo Standing Committee Member Mr. Cai Qi in Tianjin, China. Building on, and in line with, the leaders' meeting today, they touched on bilateral economic, political and people-to-people exchanges between India and China."

https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1962066901963878416

Meanwhile, during his bilateral meeting with Chinese President in Tianjin on the sidelines of the SCO summit, Prime Minister Modi underlined the importance of peace and tranquility on the border areas for continued development of bilateral relations.

The two leaders noted with satisfaction the successful disengagement last year and the maintenance of peace and tranquility along the border areas since then, the MEA said in a statement.

They expressed commitment to a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question proceeding from the political perspective of their overall bilateral relations and the long-term interests of the two peoples. They recognized the important decisions taken by the two Special Representatives in their Talks earlier this month, and agreed to further support their efforts.

Both leaders welcomed the positive momentum and steady progress in bilateral relations since their last meeting in Kazan in October 2024. They reaffirmed that the two countries were development partners and not rivals, and that their differences should not turn into disputes.

A stable relationship and cooperation between India and China and their 2.8 billion peoples on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity are necessary for the growth and development of the two countries, as well as for a multipolar world and a multi-polar Asia befitting the trends of the 21st century.

Meanwhile this evening, the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will kick off at the Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Centre in Tianjin. After a welcoming ceremony and a photo session, the leaders will attend a reception and a concert.

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 the course of the summit, PM Modi is also scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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

- ANI