New Delhi (August 22): Days after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi handed Prime Minister Narendra Modi an invitation from President Xi Jinping, the government on Friday confirmed that PM Modi will travel to Tianjin, China, to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Leaders’ Summit on August 31 and September 1, 2025.
Before his visit to China, the Prime Minister will travel to Japan from August 29–30 for the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit, at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. This will be Modi’s eighth visit to Japan and his first summit with Ishiba since he took office.
Strengthening India-Japan Ties
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two leaders will review the Special Strategic and Global Partnership, covering defence and security, trade, technology, innovation, and people-to-people exchanges. The discussions will also touch upon regional and global issues. The MEA said the visit will reaffirm the longstanding friendship and trust between India and Japan, which has deepened over the last 25 years and through frameworks like the Quad.
PM Modi’s First Visit to China in Seven Years
On the second leg of his trip, PM Modi will attend the SCO Summit in Tianjin. On the sidelines, he is expected to hold bilateral meetings with several leaders. This marks Modi’s first visit to China since 2018, when he attended the SCO Summit in Qingdao.
The visit carries major significance as India and China move towards normalising strained ties following years of border tensions. Both countries have recently agreed to:
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Establish at least three new border mechanisms
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Restart border trade
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Resume visa issuance to Chinese nationals
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Restore direct flights between the two nations
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Resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after a five-year pause
While de-escalation along the border remains a pending challenge, the visits mark a critical step in restoring diplomatic engagement.
India has been a member of the SCO since 2017, and also held the organisation’s presidency in 2022–23.
