PM Modi to hold bilateral meetings with Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin in China amid Trump tariff row
Relations with China, though still fragile, have shown cautious improvement after years of confrontation. The ties worsened after the deadly Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020.
- Aug 28, 2025,
- Updated Aug 28, 2025 3:23 PM IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping on August 31 and Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 1 in Tianjin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
The meetings will attract global attention amid tensions in India’s economic relations with the United States. This follows President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes on Indian goods and objections over India’s continued purchase of Russian oil during the Ukraine conflict. India has started consultations at the World Trade Organisation, while exporters warn of supply chain disruptions and falling overseas sales.
Relations with China, though still fragile, have shown cautious improvement after years of confrontation. The ties worsened after the deadly Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020, but military and diplomatic talks have led to mutual withdrawal from key friction points along the Line of Actual Control. Heavy deployments remain, but both governments have worked to reduce the risk of escalation. Recent contacts suggest a slow and managed thaw in relations. This will be PM Modi’s first visit to China in over seven years since his informal summit with Xi in Wuhan in 2018.
The meeting with Putin is also significant. Russia, facing Western sanctions over the Ukraine war, aims to strengthen its traditional partnership with India while deepening ties with China. Moscow has hinted at possible trilateral discussions involving India and China, which may be part of Putin’s talks with Modi.
The SCO summit in Tianjin will bring together over 20 leaders from Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. For China, it is an opportunity to showcase its leadership of the Global South and provide diplomatic support to Russia. For India, the summit offers a chance to reaffirm its commitment to multilateral forums and position itself as a balancing force amid changing global alignments.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping on August 31 and Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 1 in Tianjin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
The meetings will attract global attention amid tensions in India’s economic relations with the United States. This follows President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes on Indian goods and objections over India’s continued purchase of Russian oil during the Ukraine conflict. India has started consultations at the World Trade Organisation, while exporters warn of supply chain disruptions and falling overseas sales.
Relations with China, though still fragile, have shown cautious improvement after years of confrontation. The ties worsened after the deadly Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020, but military and diplomatic talks have led to mutual withdrawal from key friction points along the Line of Actual Control. Heavy deployments remain, but both governments have worked to reduce the risk of escalation. Recent contacts suggest a slow and managed thaw in relations. This will be PM Modi’s first visit to China in over seven years since his informal summit with Xi in Wuhan in 2018.
The meeting with Putin is also significant. Russia, facing Western sanctions over the Ukraine war, aims to strengthen its traditional partnership with India while deepening ties with China. Moscow has hinted at possible trilateral discussions involving India and China, which may be part of Putin’s talks with Modi.
The SCO summit in Tianjin will bring together over 20 leaders from Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. For China, it is an opportunity to showcase its leadership of the Global South and provide diplomatic support to Russia. For India, the summit offers a chance to reaffirm its commitment to multilateral forums and position itself as a balancing force amid changing global alignments.