Indian PM Set to Make First China Visit in 7 Years

(MENAFN) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is anticipated to make his first visit to China in seven years later this month, according to a report by media. The trip, if confirmed, would mark a significant diplomatic move toward easing strained relations between the two neighbors.

Modi is scheduled to participate in the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, with China currently serving as the bloc’s chair. However, neither New Delhi nor Beijing has officially confirmed the details of the visit.

Prior to traveling to China, Modi is set to visit Japan around August 29, after which he would head to Tianjin, a key northern Chinese city. His last trip to China was back in 2018.

This visit is expected amid ongoing efforts by India and China to restore normal diplomatic engagement following the sharp escalation in tensions in 2020. That year, deadly clashes occurred along the disputed border in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.

Last month, India resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals for the first time since 2020, signaling a potential thaw in bilateral relations.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, founded in 2001, is an intergovernmental alliance consisting of 10 member states: China, Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus.

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