Tianjin: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Leaders’ Summit in Tianjin on Monday, September 1. This marked India's significant diplomatic engagement amidst rising trade tensions with the US and strained ties with China.
This is PM Modi’s first visit to China since the 2020 border clashes, and it includes crucial bilateral discussions with both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ahead of the high-stakes talks, a candid video of the three leaders chit-chatting at the summit also surfaced on social media. Have a look:
Modi To Hold Talks With Putin Amid Trump's Tariff Row
On the sidelines of the summit, PM Modi is set to hold bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, later in the day. The meeting comes shortly after the United States, under President Donald Trump, imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian exports, citing India's continued import of Russian crude oil. This tariff is reportedly the steepest imposed on any Asian economy to date.
Earlier, PM Modi held a long-anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where both leaders agreed not to allow the long-standing boundary dispute to define India-China relations. The conversation was the first between the two leaders on Chinese soil in over seven years. Both sides emphasised the importance of expanding cooperation in trade, connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges.
PM Modi also met with other leaders including Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu and Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. During the interaction with Xi, Modi extended an invitation to China to attend the BRICS 2026 summit in India, which Beijing has reportedly agreed to support.
SCO Plenary Sees Sharp Criticism of Global 'Bullying'
Addressing the plenary session after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s opening remarks, PM Modi outlined India’s approach to regional cooperation under the SCO framework. Although details of his speech were not immediately disclosed, the overall tone of the session reflected rising discontent with what was described as "bullying" in the current global order.
President Xi criticised the "Cold War mentality" and bloc confrontations in international affairs, calling for a "fairer and more equitable' global governance system. "We must safeguard the multilateral trading system and reject bullying tactics," Xi said, according to live updates from the summit.
Following his address, PM Modi posted on social media, "Interactions in Tianjin continue! Exchanging perspectives with President Putin and President Xi during the SCO Summit."
