China confirms PM Modi’s visit for SCO Summit in Tianjin on August 31, hopes for ‘solidarity and friendship’

File Photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping

China has officially confirmed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Tianjin later this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, saying it looks forward to the meeting strengthening solidarity and cooperation among member states.

The visit, scheduled for August 31, will mark PM Modi’s first trip to China since the deadly clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in 2020.

Responding to reports in Indian media about the visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday that preparations were underway for what Beijing hopes will be a significant gathering.

“China welcomes Prime Minister Modi to China for the SCO Tianjin Summit. We believe that with the concerted effort of all parties, the Tianjin summit will be a gathering of solidarity, friendship and fruitful results,” Guo said.

The spokesperson added that the summit would usher in a “new stage of high-quality development” for the SCO, defined by “greater solidarity, coordination, dynamism, and productiveness.”

The SCO -- a regional security and economic bloc founded in 2001 -- counts China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as full members. The Tianjin meeting is expected to focus on regional stability, economic cooperation and counter-terrorism.

Significance amid US trade tensions

PM Modi’s China trip comes at a time when India’s economic relations with the United States are under strain following President Donald Trump’s imposition of 50% tariffs on a range of Indian exports. The tariff dispute has injected fresh urgency into India’s search for stronger trade and strategic partnerships in Asia.

China, itself locked in a bruising tariff war with Washington, has in recent months signalled openness to improving economic ties with India. Analysts say Modi’s presence at the SCO will provide an opportunity for both countries to explore common ground on trade diversification, regional supply chains, and collective responses to US trade pressure, even as the two sides continue to manage their unresolved border tensions.