PM Modi Meets Xi Jinping in Tianjin, Stresses Border Peace and Regional Unity at SCO Summit

Tianjin: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a crucial bilateral meeting on Sunday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, marking their first face-to-face engagement in China since 2018.

The talks, lasting around 40 minutes, centered on easing border tensions and strengthening regional cooperation. Modi underlined that both nations had agreed on a border management mechanism, adding that direct flight services between India and China would soon resume – a symbolic step towards normalising ties.

This meeting carried special weight, as it was Modi’s first visit to China in seven years. He described the current situation as a “peaceful atmosphere,” reflecting cautious optimism after prolonged friction caused by the Ladakh standoff. The renewed dialogue comes against the backdrop of the 2024 Kazan meeting, which had set the tone for disengagement of troops and gradual rebuilding of trust.

The timing of the encounter is also significant. With global trade tensions escalating due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff measures targeting India while sparing China, the SCO summit has emerged as a platform for the bloc to showcase collective strength against external pressures.

Accompanying Modi were National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, while External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was notably absent. Xi, on his part, also engaged separately with leaders from Azerbaijan, Armenia, and the Maldives before his discussions with Modi.

The SCO summit, hosting leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, is being viewed as a pivotal moment for both India and China to reassert their influence in the region.