- By Supratik Das
- Sun, 31 Aug 2025 08:01 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
PM Modi SCO Summit 2025: The spotlight of the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin is firmly on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s long-awaited meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This is Modi’s first visit to China in more than seven years, coming at a time when India-US ties are strained by Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policies and sanctions threats. With Russian President Vladimir Putin's arrival in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin, the meeting of these three leaders is viewed as an important moment in the changing global landscape.
The SCO Summit 2025 is not just another multilateral meeting; it takes place amid significant geopolitical changes, increasing US-India trade tensions, and renewed efforts by Asian powers to adjust their partnerships. As Modi meets Xi Jinping on Sunday for a bilateral talk, the key question is whether the two Asian giants can overcome their troubled history of border disputes and economic distrust, or if old tensions will reappear.
1. PM Modi’s First Visit To China Since 2018
Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Tianjin on Saturday, marking his first visit to China in over seven years. The last time he attended an SCO meeting on Chinese soil was in Qingdao in 2018. His return now is seen as a symbolic gesture of thaw in India-China ties after the deadly Galwan Valley clashes of 2020.
2. Modi-Xi Meeting Amid Changed World Order
The Modi-Xi meeting is being closely watched by the global leaders. The meeting is scheduled for around noon local time (9:30 AM IST) with a 40-minute time slot and comes amid a thaw in relations between India and China. The optics of Modi and Xi sharing the stage with Vladimir Putin will send a clear signal to Washington, where Trump has imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods and accused New Delhi of fueling Moscow’s war machine. The question arises, can Asia’s two biggest economies forge a working relationship despite years of mistrust?
3. Russia-China-India On One Platform
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Tianjin on Sunday morning. With Xi hosting and Modi holding separate bilaterals with both, the SCO stage is being seen as a potential “counter-summit” to US-led groupings like the QUAD and NATO. Moscow and Beijing have already spoken of being “united against discriminatory sanctions.”
4. Trump’s Trade War Looms Large
The US-India relationship has soured under Trump’s second term. Washington has slapped tariffs on Indian exports, particularly targeting crude imports from Russia. Trump’s advisers have accused Modi of indirectly funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Peter Navarro even went as far as calling Ukraine “Modi’s war.” Such rhetoric has forced New Delhi to look for balance in Beijing and Moscow.
5. Thaw in India-China Ties Before the Summit
Signs of rapprochement have been visible for months. Earlier in August, NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reached a 10-point consensus on border management, including reviving military-to-military dialogue. Direct flights between Delhi and Beijing are also set to resume, alongside plans to simplify visas. The start of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has been praised as a significant cultural move.
6. Border Disputes Still Unresolved
Despite new openings, the Line of Actual Control (LAC) remains the biggest obstacle. Aksai Chin is controlled by China but claimed by India. Arunachal Pradesh is controlled by India but claimed by China. These areas continue to dominate military negotiations. While talks may reduce tensions, a complete settlement remains uncertain.
7. India-China Trade Crosses USD 120 Billion
Economically, China remains India’s largest trading partner. Bilateral trade in 2024-25 is estimated at USD 120 billion. However, India’s trade deficit with China is close to USD 100 billion. Many in India still call for limiting Chinese imports and banning apps. Yet, businesses continue to rely on Chinese supply chains. Will this trade help ease years of political mistrust?
8. SCO’s Growing Weight in Global Affairs
The SCO has expanded to 10 members: India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It also has dialogue partners from the Middle East and Africa. India joined as a full member in 2017 and even chaired the Heads of State Council in 2022-23. For New Delhi, the SCO is a platform to promote multipolarity and avoid being drawn into Western alliances.
9. Putin Backs New Financial System
Ahead of the summit, Putin told China’s Xinhua news agency that Russia and China are “working to build a new financial system free from neo-colonial tools.” He called for reforms in the IMF and World Bank and backed BRICS as a “pillar of global architecture.” His remarks resonate with India’s long-standing call for greater representation of the Global South in world forums.
10. What Lies Ahead For India-US-China Triangle?
The big geopolitical question now is whether India, frustrated by Trump’s tariffs, will tilt closer to China and Russia. Washington has long positioned New Delhi as a counterweight to Beijing in the Indo-Pacific through the QUAD. But if Modi and Xi can stabilize ties, America’s strategy of containing China through India may falter. Will this summit mark the beginning of a new Asian balance of power?
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The SCO 2025 Summit is not just about regional cooperation but about signaling shifts in the global order. For India, the meeting with Xi Jinping comes at a delicate moment, mending ties with China while not alienating the US, and managing its partnership with Russia while facing Western scrutiny. As PM Modi tweeted upon landing in Tianjin, “Looking forward to deliberations at the SCO Summit and meeting various world leaders.” What remains to be seen is whether this deliberation turns into a genuine reset of India-China relations or simply another tactical pause in a long and complex rivalry.
(With inputs from agencies.)