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 in Tianjin, signaling a thaw in relations between New Delhi and Beijing.

The meeting comes ahead of the SCO leaders’ session scheduled for September 1. Modi, who arrived in China on Saturday for a two-day visit, thanked Xi for the invitation to the summit. In his remarks, the prime minister underlined the importance of cooperation between India and China for regional and global stability.

“We had a productive meeting in Kazan. Our relationship got a positive direction. There is peace and stability on the borders. Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has resumed. Direct flights are also being started between the two countries. With cooperation between our nations, the interests of 2.8 billion people are associated – this is needed for humanity,” Modi said.

The optics of the meeting hold significance as it comes amid efforts to reset ties between Asia’s two largest neighbors, which had seen turbulence following border tensions in recent years. Resumption of people-to-people exchanges and restoration of direct air connectivity are being seen as confidence-building measures.

The dialogue also unfolds against the backdrop of heightened global trade tensions. US President Donald Trump recently imposed steep tariffs on India, accusing New Delhi of maintaining “the highest tariffs in the world” and penalizing it for continuing oil imports from Russia. While Washington raised levies on Indian exports up to 50 percent, China, which also buys Russian oil, escaped additional tariff targeting.

For both Modi and Xi, Sunday’s meeting marks a cautious but significant step towards stability, with implications not just for bilateral ties but also for the broader geopolitical balance in Asia.

“Needed for Humanity”: PM Modi Meets Xi Jinping at SCO Summit

PM Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO Summit 2025 in Tianjin, marking a key moment in India-China relations. Modi highlighted peace on the borders, the resumption of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, and new direct flights between the two nations. He stressed that cooperation between India and China serves the interests of 2.8 billion people, calling it “needed for humanity.” The meeting comes as both countries move towards stability, even as global trade tensions rise with US tariffs targeting India but sparing China. #IndiaChina #SCOSummit2025


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