New Delhi, August 26: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Tianjin, China, later this month to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday.
Secretary (West) in the MEA, Tanmay Lal, confirmed that the Prime Minister is also expected to hold a few bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Tianjin, China, for the 25th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on August 31 and September 1, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping,” Lal told reporters.
The SCO programme includes a welcome banquet on August 31, followed by the main summit on September 1. The summit is expected to address a wide range of regional concerns, with particular emphasis on countering terrorism, separatism, and extremism—commonly referred to as the SCO’s “three evils.”
Highlighting India’s role in the SCO, Lal recalled that PM Modi had chaired the 23rd SCO Summit in 2023 under the theme of a “SECURE SCO,” focusing on security, trade, connectivity, sovereignty, and the environment. During India’s presidency, Varanasi was named the first cultural and tourism capital of the SCO (2022–2023), while India also led initiatives on startups, digital inclusion, traditional medicine, youth empowerment, and shared Buddhist heritage.
India has consistently participated in past SCO summits, including Chengdao (2018), Bishkek (2019), Moscow (2020, virtual), Dushanbe (2021, virtual), Tashkent (2022), and New Delhi (2023, virtual).
Security cooperation remains a major focus area. India chaired the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) Council during 2021–22. Earlier this year, SCO RATS Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev visited India for discussions on strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation.
The SCO currently has 10 members—India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus—along with observers and dialogue partners. India became a full member in 2017 after serving as an observer since 2005.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during his visit to India on August 18–19, handed over a personal invitation from President Xi to PM Modi. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Modi expressed support for China’s presidency of the summit and reiterated that stable and constructive India-China ties are vital for regional and global peace.