PM Modi received enthusiastic welcome from Indian diaspora in Tianjin ahead of SCO summit
PM Modi welcomed in China.
PM Modi's China visit Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a rousing welcome from the Indian diaspora on his arrival in Tianjin, China on Saturday. Members of the Indian diaspora community in Tianjin welcomed Prime Minister Modi with great enthusiasm upon his arrival at a hotel in the city.
PM Modi landed at Tianjin's Binhai International Airport on Saturday for his two-day official visit and was received by senior Chinese and Indian officials. Members of the Indian community gathered at the hotel to welcome him while artists performed cultural programmes.
PM Modi will attend the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on Sunday, August 31 and hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He is also scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during the summit. The SCO summit is important for India as it comes after the imposition of 50 per cent tariffs imposed by the US. Of these, 25 per cent tariffs were imposed on New Delhi for buying Russian crude oil.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and host Chinese President Xi Jinping will also attend the summit. The SCO has 10 members. Apart from India, these include Belarus, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In addition, there are several dialogue partners and observers as well. India has been a member of the SCO since 2017, and has been an observer since 2005. During its membership period, India has chaired the Council of Heads of Government of the SCO in 2020 and the Council of Heads of State of the SCO from 2022 to 2023.
This will be PM Modi's first visit to China after the Galwan Valley clashes in 2020. Recently, India and China have taken several steps to improve their bilateral relations, including the resumption of trade through the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, Shipki La Pass in Himachal Pradesh and Nathu La Pass in Sikkim.
During the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on August 18-19, the two sides agreed to restore direct flight connectivity between the Chinese mainland and India at an early date and finalise the updated Air Services Agreement.
China still India's biggest trading partner.
Despite all the diplomatic tensions, China remains India's second-largest trading partner. Many industries in India require Chinese machines, equipment and raw materials. If India-China relations remain stable, it could give India some relief from the heavy tariffs imposed by the US.
Will Tianjin have a 'Wuhan moment' again?
Pictures of PM Modi and Xi Jinping strolling and boating on the lakeside during their 2018 visit to Wuhan were much talked about. Now Tianjin, which is located near the Bohai Sea, could once again provide such a moment - but will 2025 see a 'Wuhan redux'? Only time will tell.
They also agreed to facilitate visas for tourists, businesses, media and other visitors from both directions.
The two sides agreed to uphold multilateralism, enhance dialogue on major international and regional issues, maintain a rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, and promote a multipolar world that safeguards the interests of developing countries.
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