Xi and Modi hold talks in Tianjin amid Global South Summit

CHINA’S President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting on Sunday in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin, according to state media outlet Xinhua.

Reuters reported that Modi is visiting China for the first time in seven years to attend a two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), where Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders from Central Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Middle East are also gathering in what Beijing has cast as a powerful show of Global South solidarity.

The Xi-Modi meeting came just five days after Washington imposed punitive 50% tariffs on Indian goods in response to New Delhi's continued purchases of Russian oil. Analysts suggest the two leaders are seeking to present a united front against growing Western pressure.

Beijing and New Delhi are cautiously rebuilding ties following a breakthrough meeting last October, during which the two leaders agreed to a border patrolling deal. This came after years of strained relations, sparked by deadly military clashes in 2020.

Recent diplomatic efforts have further thawed relations. Earlier this month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited India, where both sides agreed to resume direct flights. China also committed to lifting export restrictions on rare earths, fertilisers, and tunnel boring machines.

Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong said this month that Beijing “firmly stands with India” and opposes Washington’s “steep tariffs.”

For decades, the United States has sought to cultivate India as a strategic counterweight to China in Asia. However, analysts note a recalibration may be under way as India seeks to hedge against American pressure, maintain close ties with Russia, and engage more pragmatically with Beijing.

“Both India and China are engaged in what is likely to be a lengthy and fraught process of defining a new equilibrium in the relationship,” said Manoj Kewalramani, a Sino-Indian relations expert at the Takshashila Institution in Bangalore. “I think the Modi-Xi meeting is likely to reiterate the commitment to continue along that path with broader government-to-government and people-to-people engagement.”

Indian officials are expected to raise ongoing border tensions, economic cooperation, and terrorism-related concerns. The latter follows an April attack on Hindu tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, which triggered the deadliest fighting in decades between India and Pakistan.

President Xi is hosting approximately 20 world leaders in Tianjin for what has become the largest SCO gathering since the bloc’s founding in 2001. The organisation, which began with a security focus, now comprises 10 permanent members and 16 dialogue or observer states, and has expanded into broader areas such as economic and military cooperation.

Putin Arrives To Attend Security Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin also arrived in Tianjin on Sunday, receiving a red-carpet welcome, as shown in a livestream by Russian news agency TASS. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV described China-Russia ties as being at their “best in history” and “the most stable, mature and strategically significant among major countries.”

A day before his visit, Putin criticised Western sanctions in a written interview with China’s official Xinhua news agency, saying that Moscow and Beijing jointly oppose “discriminatory” measures in global trade.

The summit is widely viewed as a platform for Xi to promote a post-American vision of the global order, while simultaneously offering a high-profile diplomatic boost to Russia, whose economy is under strain from war-related costs and international trade restrictions. - August 31, 2025