SCO summit: Xi, Modi seek closer China-India ties
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Prime Minister Modi and President Xi’s Meeting Marks a New Chapter in Strategic Cooperation
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin. The hour-long discussion signaled a deliberate effort to recalibrate a relationship historically defined by rivalry and mistrust. This meeting, however, is shaped by a powerful external force: a mounting trade war initiated by the United States. Facing significant tariff pressure from Washington, both New Delhi and Beijing are exploring a strategic alignment. The timing of this diplomatic warming is no coincidence. It comes seven years after Prime Minister Modi’s last visit to China and follows a period of severe tension, including the 2017 Doklam standoff and the deadly 2020 Galwan Valley clashes. The path to a stable and trusting relationship remains complex. Decades of mutual suspicion, fueled by border disputes and strategic competition, will not disappear overnight. By focusing on shared challenges like fair trade and regional security, India and China are cautiously exploring a new chapter in their relationship, one driven by pragmatic necessity and a shared vision for a multipolar world.
In a significant diplomatic development, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin. The hour-long discussion signaled a deliberate effort to recalibrate a relationship historically defined by rivalry and mistrust. This meeting, however, is shaped by a powerful external force: a mounting trade war initiated by the United States. Facing significant tariff pressure from Washington, both New Delhi and Beijing are exploring a strategic alignment, turning a shared economic challenge into an opportunity for rapprochement. The carefully orchestrated meeting suggests that pragmatic economic interests may be starting to outweigh long-standing geopolitical friction.
Setting a New Tone for Cooperation
During their talks, both leaders emphasized the need to guide the relationship with a renewed focus on mutual trust and respect. Prime Minister Modi highlighted recent positive steps, including the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and the restoration of direct flights, as tangible evidence of a thaw in relations. He stressed that the partnership between the two nations, representing a combined population of 2.8 billion people, holds immense potential for regional and global welfare. The Prime Minister also reiterated India’s commitment to strategic autonomy, suggesting the relationship should not be viewed through the prism of any third country—a clear reference to the United States.
President Xi echoed these sentiments, referring to India as a “vital friend” and urging both nations to approach their ties from a long-term perspective. In a crucial statement, he asserted that the contentious border issue should not be allowed to define the entirety of the China-India relationship. Using the powerful metaphor of the “Dragon and the Elephant,” Xi called for the two ancient civilizations to come together as partners rather than rivals. This messaging indicates a shared desire to compartmentalize their disputes, allowing for progress on economic and strategic fronts while continuing managing their differences through established diplomatic channels.
The Economic Catalyst for Change
The timing of this diplomatic warming is no coincidence. It comes seven years after Prime Minister Modi’s last visit to China and follows a period of severe tension, including the 2017 Doklam standoff and the deadly 2020 Galwan Valley clashes. The primary catalyst for this shift is the aggressive trade policy of the United States under President Donald Trump. Punishing tariffs imposed on both Indian and Chinese goods have created a shared economic adversary, pushing the two Asian giants toward closer cooperation. Beijing has openly condemned the US tariffs on Indian exports, positioning itself as an ally against what it terms American “bullying.”
This economic pressure has provided New Delhi with a fresh incentive to ease tensions with its powerful neighbour. As relations with Washington have soured over trade disputes and India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, China has emerged as a viable source of investment, technology, and expanded trade. The meeting in Tianjin, which will be followed by a discussion between Prime Minister Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, underscores a broader realignment among powers feeling the strain of American economic policies. This evolving dynamic is upending the long-standing American diplomatic strategy of positioning India as a strategic counterweight to China’s influence in the region.
A Pragmatic, Yet Cautious, Path Forward
While the handshake in Tianjin represents a significant step forward, the path to a stable and trusting relationship remains complex. Decades of mutual suspicion, fueled by border disputes and strategic competition, will not disappear overnight. However, the meeting demonstrates a clear recognition from both leaderships that in the current global climate, cooperation offers more benefits than confrontation. By focusing on shared challenges like fair trade and regional security, India and China are cautiously exploring a new chapter in their relationship, one driven by pragmatic necessity and a shared vision for a multipolar world.
Core Insights
Economic Pressure as a Unifier: The primary driver behind the renewed India-China dialogue is the shared economic challenge posed by significant US tariffs, pushing the two rivals toward strategic alignment.
The primary driver behind the renewed India-China dialogue is the shared economic challenge posed by significant US tariffs, pushing the two rivals toward strategic alignment. Shifting Diplomatic Tone: Both leaders publicly committed to a relationship based on “mutual trust and respect,” signaling a desire to move past recent hostilities and not let the border dispute define their entire relationship.
Both leaders publicly committed to a relationship based on “mutual trust and respect,” signaling a desire to move past recent hostilities and not let the border dispute define their entire relationship. Strategic Realignment in Asia: The meeting underscores a broader geopolitical shift, where nations impacted by US trade policy, including India, China, and Russia, are seeking closer ties to enhance their strategic autonomy.
Cautious Rapprochement: Despite the positive overtures, deep-seated historical mistrust from conflicts like the Doklam and Galwan standoffs means the path to a stable partnership remains challenging and will require sustained diplomatic effort.
Modi and Xi vow to improve ties as Trump’s tariffs push India and China closer
Relations between the Asian neighbours reached a historic low after their forces clashed along the disputed Himalayan border nearly five years ago. US president Donald Trump’s decision to hit both countries with heavy import tariffs appears to have spurred the need for a swifter rapprochement. Mr Modi said during his meeting with Mr Xi that India and China had pursued strategic autonomy and their ties should not be seen through the lens of a third country. The leaders emphasised the need to proceed from a “political and strategic direction” to expand trade and investment ties. New Delhi has hit pause on such negotiations with Beijing and other fellow members of the Brics bloc as it looks to move away from Washington. The Indian prime minister announced that direct flights, suspended since 2020, were being resumed but did not offer a timeframe.
Relations between the Asian neighbours reached a historic low after their forces clashed along the disputed Himalayan border nearly five years ago.
Although they have lately been making efforts to mend their ties, US president Donald Trump’s decision to hit both countries with heavy import tariffs appears to have spurred the need for a swifter rapprochement.
While Beijing is still in talks with Washington for a trade agreement, New Delhi has hit pause on such negotiations. Instead, the Modi government is seeking to expand trade and investment relations with Beijing and other fellow members of the Brics bloc as it looks to move away from Washington.
Mr Trump’s 50 per cent tariff on India – a 25 per cent import levy to go with a 25 per cent “penalty” for continuing to purchase Russian crude oil – threatens to torpedo the world’s third largest economy, for which the US is the biggest export market.
Beijing opposed the crippling US tariff imposed on India and it would “firmly stand with India”, Chinese ambassador to India Xu Feihong said this month.
In keeping with the messaging of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit – to present a united front against Western pressure – Mr Modi said during his meeting with Mr Xi that India and China had pursued strategic autonomy and their ties should not be seen through the lens of a third country, the Indian foreign ministry said in a readout of the meeting.
The Chinese president reiterated Mr Modi’s concern and said the two neighbours must “not let the border issue define the overall China-India relationship,” Xinhua news agency reported.
Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi with Russian president Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Brics summit in Kazan, Russia, on 22 October 2024 (AP)
The leaders emphasised the need to proceed from a “political and strategic direction” to expand trade and investment ties, and bring down India’s trade deficit with China.
“We’re committed to progressing our relations based on mutual respect, trust, and sensitivities,” Mr Modi told the Chinese leader during the meeting.
Mr Modi’s first visit to China in seven years is expected to help revive and improve relations which were almost frozen following the deadly border clashes in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley. The clashes left at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead and triggered a military standoff between the nuclear neighbours.
A thaw came last year when they reached a border petrol agreement at a meeting hosted by Russia. The pact gradually improved ties and restored key areas of the bilateral relationship.
India and China share a rather poorly demarcated 3,488km border that runs from Ladakh in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east.
China also holds a big chunk of territory in Ladakh called the Aksai Chin that it won during the 1962 war with India and claims Arunachal as part of the province of Tibet.
Mr Modi seemed to extend an olive branch at his meeting with Mr Xi saying an atmosphere of “peace and stability” had been created along the disputed Himalayan border.
An agreement had been reached regarding border management, he added without giving any details.
Mr Modi announced that direct flights, suspended since 2020, were being resumed but did not offer a timeframe.
Mr Xi said he hoped the Tianjin meeting would “further elevate” and “promote the sustained, healthy and stable development of bilateral relations”, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Ties could be “stable and far-reaching” if the two countries viewed each other as partners instead of rivals, the president added.
SCO summit: Xi, Modi seek closer China-India ties
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived on his first visit to China in seven years Modi met with Xi, with the two sides looking forward to improving ties after border tensions. China upgrades relations with Armenia during Xi’s meeting with Armenian PM Pashinyan The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the Chinese city of Tianjin kicked off on Sunday and runs through Monday.Below is a roundup of all the news, analyses and videos related to the SCO on Sunday August 31 and Monday September 1. The SCO summit is being held in Tianjin, China, with 10 of the 10 member states taking part in the event, including Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia, Turkey, South Korea, Japan and the United States. The summit is the first since the end of the Asian financial crisis in March 2013, and is expected to last until the end the month, with China and Russia expected to take the lead in hosting the summit in 2014. The event is being hosted by the Chinese government, which has been criticized for its handling of the crisis.
Below is a roundup of all the news, analyses and videos related to the SCO on Sunday August 31 and Monday September 1:
Xi has warm meeting with Azerbaijan’s Aliyev
Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with Azerbaijani President Ilhan Aliyev in what seemed to be friendly meeting between the two sides.
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An Azerbaijani readout of the meeting said that Xi addressed Aliyev as “my dear friend.”
“President Xi Jinping emphasized that successful cooperative relations have been established between Azerbaijan and China over the past 30 years, and that these relations are currently developing at the level of a comprehensive stretegic partnership,” the Azerbaijani statement said.
The Chinese readout of the meeting noted that “China and Azerbaijan are good friends and good partners.”
It highlighted the close economic ties between the two countries, and the “efficacy of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route,” which is used to transport Chinese goods via Azerbaijan. The two sides have close cooperation in the field of energy, with Azerbaijan being rich in natural gas.
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China also supports Azerbaijan’s membership in the SCO and noted that Azerbaijan “firmly abides by the one-China principle.”
In 2023, Azerbaijan took control of the ethnically Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, with Armenians fleeing the Azerbaijani offensive.
China had earlier recognized Nagorno-Karabakh region as part of Azerbaijan prior to the offensive as Azerbaijan had agreed to recognize Taiwan as a part of China.
Armenia says relationship with China boosted to ‘strategic partnership’
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, with Pashinyan posting on social media platform X that ties between Armenia and China have been elevated to a “strategic partnership.”
“Following my meeting with President Xi Jinping, I am confident that this milestone will further deepen our friendship & open new perspectives for cooperation,” Pashinyan said.
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China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Xi stressed to Pashinyan that Armenia and China “should work together to pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, strengthen connectivity, and promote exchanges in education, science and technology, culture, and tourism, to deliver more benefits to the two peoples.”
The Chinese statement said that China “supports Armenia in joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.” Armenia is considered a “dialogue partner” of the SCO, though it is not one of the 10 member states.
The statement also claims that Armenia is “firmly committed to the one-China principle,” which means Armenia sees Taiwan as part of China’s territory. Taiwan is currently self-governed, despite Beijing seeing it as a Chinese province, and Taiwanese President William Lai has emphasized Taiwan’s sovereignty.
SCO summit: Iran looks to the east amid geopolitical crises
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is attending the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
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With Western sanctions still in force, Tehran is shifting its focus to other global partners.
DW looks at how Iran might use the SCO amid its geoplitical crises here.
Xi, Modi look forward to improving ties
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday that New Delhi was committed to improving ties with Beijing, during talks on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.
“We are committed to progressing our relations based on mutual respect, trust and sensitivities,” Modi said, according to a video posted on his official X account.
In his remarks, Xi said both countries should view ties from a strategic and long-term perspective, noting the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
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“We must also step up to our historic responsibilities to uphold multilateralism, a multipolar world, and more democracy in international institutions and work together for peace and prosperity in Asia and around the world,” he said.
Xi told Modi that China and India are partners, not rivals, and that both countries represent development opportunities for each other and not threats, state news agency Xinhua reported.
The meeting marked Modi’s first visit to China in seven years.
The talks came just days after Washington’s 50% tariffs on Indian goods came into effect over New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, a move analysts say could push Beijing and New Delhi closer.
Putin arrives in China
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Tianjin on Sunday for a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit to a red-carpet welcome from senior officials, Chinese and Russian media reported.
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Putin’s four-day visit highlights the “best in history” relations between the two countries, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV which called the ties the “most stable, mature and strategically significant among major countries.”
Before his arrival, Putin told China’s Xinhua news agency that Moscow and Beijing jointly opposed “discriminatory” Western sanctions.
Russia’s economy is on the brink of recession amid the war in Ukraine and the consequent sanctions it has faced.
China’s SCO summit a reflection of Global South cooperation
World leaders are convening in northern China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit on Sunday and Monday, where Beijing is seeking to strengthen its regional cooperation as tensions with the United States continue over trade and security issues.
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The 10-member bloc is meeting for a two-day summit in Tianjin.
The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, with 16 more countries affiliated as observers or “dialogue partners”.
China’s Xinhua news agency described it as the “largest-ever SCO summit.” Beijing sees the forum as an alternative to the Western-led global order
Founded in 2001, the SCO has become a forum for economic and security cooperation, with Beijing and Moscow as the primary pillars.
Over the years, China has pushed its economic weight, while Russia used the forum to maintain ties with Central Asia.
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Russia’s war in Ukraine has deepened Moscow’s reliance on the bloc.
The summit also provides a platform for India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to neighbor China for the first time in seven years.
Recent strained ties with Washington, and reeling under US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, has brought New Delhi and Beijing closer.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged support for multilateralism, calling China a “fundamental pillar” of the system.
Read more on the SCO summit from DW here.
Welcome to our coverage
Good morning!
Some 20 world leaders are gathered in China’s Tianjin today and tomorrow for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, hosted by President Xi Jinping.
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The security summit is most notably attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his first visit to China since 2018, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who faces a 2023 arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.
China hopes the summit could confront Western influence on the global sphere.
This blog will bring you the latest on the two-day summit.
China and India pledge to be ‘partners not rivals’ at security summit
China and India pledge to be ‘partners not rivals’ at Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) summit. Xi Jinping and Indian PM Narendra Modi met on the sidelines of the summit in the port city of Tianjin. Modi said there was now an “atmosphere of peace and stability” between them. Putin is also at the summit, attended by more than 20 world leaders, which this year has been overshadowed by trade wars with the US.
6 hours ago Share Save Laura Bicker & Stephen McDonell China correspondents, in Beijing and Tianjin and Danai Nesta Kupemba BBC News Share Save
Watch: Putin, Modi and other world leaders in China for summit
The leaders of China and India say there is now deepening trust between them after years of tension that includes a long-running border dispute. China’s President Xi Jinping and Indian PM Narendra Modi met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) in the port city of Tianjin. It is Modi’s first time in China in seven years. Xi told Modi that China and India should be partners, not rivals, while Modi said there was now an “atmosphere of peace and stability” between them. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also at the summit, attended by more than 20 world leaders, which this year has been overshadowed by trade wars with the US.
US President Donald Trump has imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods as punishment for Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil, and Putin faces threats of sanctions for his ongoing war on Ukraine. As the US-India relationship faces increasing headwinds, Modi is moving closer to Xi. Both countries are not only the most populous, but also have two of the largest economies in the world. Modi announced that flights between India and China – suspended since deadly troop clashes on their shared Himalayan border in 2020 – would resume, without providing a timeline. Xi said “both sides need to approach and handle our relationship from a strategic height and long-term perspective” and that “it is the right choice for both sides to be friends”.
The SCO summit itself is largely symbolic but will allow leaders to air common grievances and shared interests. It comes days before a massive military parade in Beijing that will mark 80 years since the end of World War Two. There are 10 member states in the grouping – including Russia, Pakistan and Iran – and 16 dialogue partners and observers. Putin, who is a close ally of China, arrived to a red carpet welcome in Tianjin on Sunday.
SCO summit: Xi, Modi seek closer China-India ties – DW – 08/31/2025
Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed attendees at the SCO summit in Tianjin. He told them that SCO is “shouldering greater responsibilites for safeguarding regional peace and stability” The summit is occuring as US President Donald Trump has slapped tariffs on countries around the world.
Leaders from Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia are present at the SCO summit in Tianjin Image: Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik/REUTERS
During a banquet at the SCO summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed attendees, telling them that the SCO is “shouldering greater responsibilites for safeguarding regional peace and stability,” according to the Chinese state-run Xinhua news outlet.
Jinping told attendees that the “SCO is certain to play an even bigger role and achieve more progress, making greater contribution to boosting the unity and cooperation among member states, pooling the strength of the Global South and pushing for more progress of human civilization.”
According to Xinhua, the SCO summit is the “largest-ever summit of the group.”
The summit is occuring as US President Donald Trump has slapped tariffs on countries around the world, raising global trade tensions. Some countries are looking for new trade partners amid uncertainty due to US economic policy.