PM Modi To Hold Bilateral Meetings With SCO Countries: MEA On China Visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral meetings with member countries at the sidelines of the hanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit 2025 in Tianjin, China later this week.

After a gap of seven years, PM Modi will travel to China for a visit on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 to attend the SCO summit. Relations have warmed between the two countries as they both face unilateral tariffs from the US.

Before that, the PM will visit Japan from Aug. 29 to 30 to participate in the 15th India-Japan annual summit. "Modi's visit to Japan will consolidate our friendship and open fresh avenues for cooperation," Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a briefing.

Prime Minister Modi is set to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO summit. Modi last visited China in June 2018 to attend the SCO summit. The Chinese president visited India in October 2019 for the second 'informal summit'.

Modi's trip to China comes against the backdrop of a downturn in India-US ties after US President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to a whopping 50%, including 25% additional duties for New Delhi's purchase of Russian crude oil. The levies will kick in on Wednesday.

"The security of the region, remains SCO members priority," said Tanmay Lal, Secretary (West) during the MEA briefing.

Modi will meet his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba during his Tokyo visit. The two leaders will review the special strategic and global partnership between India and Japan, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said during the briefing.

Misri highlighted that both the sides will review a host of issues, operational engagement, but defence equipment and technology collaboration will be in focus.

"The Indian Navy and the Japanese Martime Self Defence Force are exploring possible cooperation in the area of ship maintenance. There are discussions going on between DRDO and ATLA on number of other issues," he added.

Misri highlighted, that ISRO and the Japanese Space Agency are working on LUPEX-Luner Polar exploration. "It opens an avenue for Indian space startups," he said.