Are PM Modi and President Xi Jinping ready to hug each other at the SCO summit amid the trade war with Donald Trump?

Prime Minister Modi’s visit to China for the SCO summit marks a crucial step in India-China ties amid global trade tensions. A potential Modi-Xi meeting signals renewed cooperation, especially as U.S. tariffs strain India. Strengthening bilateral relations may reshape regional dynamics and challenge U.S. influence under President Trump.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China on August 30 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin City. During this visit, he will have an important bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

This meeting is considered special, as it is taking place amid issues like tariffs imposed on India by the US and is expected to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

Historical context of India-China relations

Diplomatic relations between India and China were established on April 1, 1950. However, the 1962 war dealt a severe blow to these relations. The historic visit of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to China in 1988 started the process of normalizing these relations again.

Can TikTok really make a comeback in India? Are China and India planning something behind the doors?

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit in 2003 and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao's visit to India in 2005 transformed bilateral relations into a new 'strategic partnership.'

Momentum of relations in recent years

President Xi Jinping's visit to India in 2014 and Prime Minister Modi's visit to China in 2015 gave momentum to relations. Informal summits in 2018 (Wuhan) and 2019 (Chennai) worked to increase mutual trust.

 

But the clashes on the Ladakh border in 2020 once again created tensions in relations. The Modi-Jinping meeting during the BRICS summit in Russia in 2024 has been considered a positive step towards improving relations.

Current cooperation and US response

China has recently assured India of providing tunnel boring machines and rare earth materials, which reflects economic cooperation. The growing closeness between India and China may make the US, especially President Trump, uncomfortable.

India-China Relations: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets PM Modi, discusses strengthening relations

Trump has recently imposed tariffs on India while giving some relief to China. In such a situation, PM Modi's visit to China and the strengthening relations with China can be seen as a challenge for the US.

Revival of Russia India China (RIC Block)

Experts remember how Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had left the SCO summit before its commencement without signing the joint statement, as it did not condemn or mention the sordid Pahalgam terror attacks.

However, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar had attempted to ameliorate the inimical relations, albeit unpalatably. Experts had anticipated that PM Modi would be less likely to visit China for the SCO Summit. But Donald Trump’s aggressive policies have pushed Russia, China, and India into a new alliance.