Sharing my remarks during meeting with President Xi Jinping. https://t.co/pw1OAMBWdc
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 31, 2025
Tianjin: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a significant bilateral meeting on Sunday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, marking a fresh push to recalibrate ties between Asia’s two largest nations.
During the talks, PM Modi underlined that the aspirations of nearly 2.8 billion people are interlinked with cooperation between India and China, adding that mutual understanding would also contribute to the welfare of humanity at large. He stressed that New Delhi remains committed to advancing relations with Beijing on the pillars of trust, respect and sensitivity.
Sharing my remarks during meeting with President Xi Jinping. https://t.co/pw1OAMBWdc
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 31, 2025
Signalling a thaw in ties, Modi confirmed that the Special Representatives of both countries had reached an understanding on border management. He further announced the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and restoration of direct flights between the two nations — seen as confidence-building steps after years of strained relations.
Apart from talks with Xi, the Prime Minister is expected to meet other SCO leaders before attending a state banquet hosted for visiting Heads of State and Government later tonight.
India, which joined the SCO in 2017 and held the presidency of its Council of Heads of State in 2022-23, is participating alongside nine other member nations — Belarus, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Several dialogue partners and observers are also attending.
The 25th SCO Summit officially opens today in Tianjin, with the theme “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move.” More than 20 countries and leaders of 10 international organisations are taking part in the two-day deliberations. This is the fifth time China is hosting the summit, chaired by President Xi, who has declared 2025 as the “SCO Year of Sustainable Development.”
PM Modi, who landed in Tianjin on Saturday to a grand ceremonial welcome, is expected to play a key role in shaping the discussions during the summit.
