New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be embarking on a visit to Japan and China on Friday.
After attending the 15th India-Japan annual summit with Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba, the Indian PM will travel to China’s Tianjin for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) two-day meeting of Council of Heads of State.
The trip to China is significant as it comes in the wake of stiff tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration. India has been hit hard with 50% tariffs, including a 25% penal tax for purchasing Russian oil. Russia and China have opposed the bilateral tariffs, and backed India for not bowing to US pressures.
The US, and indeed, the entire world are looking ahead to the SCO meeting, where Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be present.
Modi will hold bilateral meetings with Xi on August 31 and Putin on September 1, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Tanmaya Lal, reported India Today.
Besides the American tariff issue, Modi and Xi, who last met during the BRICS Summit in Russia’s Kazan last October, will have several bilateral matters to talk about as the two countries seek to improve relations.
The Indo-China relationship has been showing signs of normalcy after being strained since 2020 when the two Armies engaged in eastern Ladakh across LAC.
Last month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Xi in China, and communicated Modi and President Droupadi Murmu’s greetings to the Chinese Premier.
Several key initiatives, including resumption of direct flights, were finalised after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s talks with National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval recently. Both countries have also agreed to facilitate visas for tourists, businesses, media and other visitors.
