As Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to China for the first time to China in seven years, he met with President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin. This showed that both nations prioritise dialogue amid US President Donald Trump imposing high tariffs on New Delhi.
The relations between the two neighbouring nations had faced heightened tensions following the Galwan Valley clash in 2020.
The state heads of India and China agreed to further promote people-to-people exchanges during their meeting. They reviewed the progress of India-China ties since their last meeting in Russia’s Kazan in 2024. They reaffirmed that the two countries were development partners and not rivals, and that their differences should not turn into disputes.
Additionally, PM Modi underlined the importance of peace and tranquility on the border areas for the continued development of bilateral relations, according to a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) press release.
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PM Modi And Xi Jinping Meet
On economic and trade relations, PM Modi and Xi Jinping recognised the role of their two economies to stabilise world trade. They underlined the need to proceed from a political and strategic direction to expand bilateral trade and investment ties and reduce the trade deficit.
In a show of cordial relations, PM Modi invited President Xi to the BRICS Summit that India will be hosting in 2026.
India, Russia, And China
Pictures of Prime Minister Modi’s informal interaction with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have surfaced, capturing a light moment shared between the three leaders on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.
The images showed all three leaders smiling and conversing, reminiscent of a similar photo taken during the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia.
In the latest photo, Putin is seen on the left, Prime Minister Modi at the centre, and Xi Jinping on the right, walking together in a relaxed manner to pose for a SCO family photo.
“Concluding a productive visit to China, where I attended the SCO Summit and interacted with various world leaders. Also emphasised India’s stand on key global issues. Thankful to President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government and people for the successful organisation of this Summit,” PM Modi posted on X.
Concluding a productive visit to China, where I attended the SCO Summit and interacted with various world leaders. Also emphasised India’s stand on key global issues. Thankful to President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government and people for the successful organisation of this…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 1, 2025
The ties between India and China have been through a rollercoaster through the past few years.
This could have been a result of US President Trump imposing hefty tariffs on India and China leading to bringing the two neighbours together in hard times.
India-China Relations: A Flashback To Panchsheel
The meeting of PM Modi and Xi Jinping has brought up the memory when India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru was in power and how the slogan “Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai” came to life.
The Panchsheel Agreement between India and China was inked on April 29, 1954. The Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, were first formally enunciated in the Agreement on Trade and Intercourse between the Tibet region.
‘Panchsheel was in response to a world asking for a new set of principles for the conduct of international relations that would reflect the aspirations of all nations to co-exist and prosper
together in peace and harmony,” according to official information of MEA.
The principles included:
a- Mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty
b- Mutual non-aggression,
c- Mutual non-interference,
d- Equality and mutual benefit, and
e- Peaceful co-existence.
The Shino-Indian War of 1962 deteriorated the ties between the nations.
SCO Nations Condemn Pahalgam Terror Attack
The member states of the Shanghai SCO have strongly condemned the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam and said that the perpetrators, organisers, and sponsors of such attacks “must be brought to justice”.
“The Member States strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025. They expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the dead and the wounded. They further stated that perpetrators, organisers and sponsors of such attacks must be brought to justice,” read the Declaration.
Four terrorists linked to The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), opened fire on 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, delivering his opening remarks at the summit in the presence of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, raised the Pahalgam terror attack and expressed gratitude to “friends” for standing with India, while slamming the double standards of certain countries that openly support terrorism.
According to IANS, the SCO nations also strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, stressing that double standards in the fight against terrorism are “unacceptable”, and call on the international community to combat terrorism, including cross-border movement of terrorists.
(with IANS inputs)