Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in China for a significant diplomatic visit, marking his first trip to the country in seven years. He is in Tianjin to participate in the two-day annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), beginning Sunday.
Modi, who was received warmly by members of the Indian diaspora upon landing, is set for a series of high-stakes bilateral engagements, including a highly anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting carries special importance given the broader geopolitical context, characterised by mounting global trade tensions and shifting alliances.
A central focus of the Modi-Xi meeting will be to sustain momentum in India-China relations, which have rebounded after years of strain. Relations between the two Asian giants had reached a historic low following the Galwan Valley clash of 2020 and the subsequent protracted Eastern Ladakh standoff.
Over the past year, however, gradual restoration of diplomatic and defence dialogues has helped stabilise ties, with both sides recognising the importance of a functional partnership. Modi, in an interview before arriving in Tianjin, emphasised that India-China relations are crucial for not just bilateral stability but for broader regional peace and prosperity.
He highlighted that stable, predictable, and amicable relations between the world’s two most populous nations are indispensable for building a multipolar Asia and a balanced world order.
The timing of the visit is particularly important. The United States, under President Donald Trump, has imposed severe tariffs on India—50% across various goods, with an additional 25% penalty specifically targeting crude imports sourced from Russia.
These punitive measures have not only strained Washington’s ties with New Delhi but have also inadvertently pushed India closer to Beijing and Moscow. For China, already locked in its own tariff war with the US, building stronger ties with India could serve as a counter-balancing strategy in the evolving geopolitical chessboard. For India, diversifying partnerships and strengthening trade channels with China and Russia could provide much-needed resilience against American economic pressure.
On the bilateral front, Modi and Xi are expected to discuss several important deliverables. Both sides have already indicated political will to address sensitive boundary issues, with an agreement earlier this month—during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Delhi—to set up an expert group that will explore potential pathways toward boundary delimitation and settlement.
Beyond the sensitive border question, the two countries have also agreed to restore vital people-to-people and commercial linkages. Plans include resuming direct flight connectivity, suspended since the pandemic and subsequent tensions, and easing visa facilitation to restore business and cultural exchange mechanisms. These measures are expected to visibly enhance trust-building and normalise engagement in the coming months.
On the sidelines of the SCO, Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. Their discussions are expected to center around the global implications of Trump’s tariff assault, Russia’s protracted conflict in Ukraine, and the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Both leaders are likely to examine avenues for boosting mutual trade and investment at a time when Western sanctions on Moscow have made India one of Russia’s most dependable economic partners. Energy cooperation, particularly India’s continuing purchase of discounted Russian oil despite US objections, will also be a crucial factor in the dialogue.
Strategic analysts underline that while Washington has considered India a natural partner in countering China’s rise, the imposition of steep tariffs has undermined progress in bilateral ties. Voices in Washington itself have criticised Trump’s tariff approach for damaging U.S. credibility and for jeopardising the potential of a deeper U.S.-India security and economic partnership.
India, which has long pursued a policy of multi-alignment to protect its sovereignty in foreign policy, is thus recalibrating its diplomatic balances. New Delhi is expected to reaffirm its position
of avoiding alignment with any single power bloc while advancing its national interest through closer engagement with both Beijing and Moscow.
Modi’s China visit is shaping up as a carefully calibrated diplomatic manoeuvre, aimed at reducing frictions, projecting India’s strategic autonomy, and consolidating regional partnerships at a time of uncertainty in global politics.
With boundary talks back on the table, renewed connectivity measures, and active engagement with Russia alongside China, the visit could mark the beginning of a new phase in India’s foreign policy—one defined by multi-nodal partnerships, economic resilience, and a quest for greater say in shaping the Asian as well as global order.
Agencies
