From August 31 to September 1, PM Modi, Xi Jinping, Putin will join 20 world leaders at China’s SCO 2025 Summit in Tianjin. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping will headline the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) 2025 summit in Tianjin, China, from August 31 to September 1. The gathering will bring together more than 20 world leaders and heads of 10 international organisations, making it the largest SCO meeting since its inception in 2001.
The summit comes at a pivotal moment in global geopolitics, with Donald Trump’s tariff war against India, China, and other countries reshaping international trade. For India, the event is particularly significant as it marks Modi’s first visit to China in over seven years, underscoring a possible thaw in ties after years of heightened border tensions.
PM Modi, Xi Jinping, Putin Will Join 20 World Leaders at China’s SCO 2025 Summit in Tianjin
PM Modi’s Eastward Diplomatic Tour
Before heading to China, Prime Minister Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Japan from August 29 to 30 at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba for the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit.
This will be Modi’s eighth visit to Japan and the first with Ishiba since he assumed office.
Discussions are expected to focus on strengthening strategic and economic ties, regional security, and launching new initiatives to build “greater resilience” in the bilateral relationship.
From Japan, Modi will travel to China on August 31 for the SCO summit at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Who All Are Attending the SCO 2025 Summit?
The SCO summit in Tianjin is set to draw an impressive roster of world leaders from across Asia and beyond. Confirmed attendees include:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi (India)
- President Vladimir Putin (Russia)
- President Xi Jinping (China, host)
- President Masoud Pezeshkian (Iran)
- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Turkey)
- General Min Aung Hlaing (Myanmar’s military chief)
- Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli (Nepal)
- President Prabowo Subianto (Indonesia)
- Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (Malaysia)
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (Pakistan)
- President Mohamed Muizzu (Maldives)
In addition, leaders from Central Asian republics, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia will participate, alongside representatives from international organisations.
India’s Priorities at SCO 2025
India’s participation is guided by its emphasis on:
- Trade and economic cooperation
- Connectivity projects across Central and South Asia
- Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity
- Counter-terrorism collaboration
Speaking to Reuters, Indian foreign ministry official Tanmaya Lal stressed that these priorities remain central as India engages with the SCO bloc, particularly as New Delhi navigates strained ties with Washington and a delicate rapprochement with Beijing.
Modi–Xi Meeting: First in Seven Years
A key highlight of the summit will be Prime Minister Modi’s bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping, expected on August 31.
This marks Modi’s first visit to China since 2018, and his first direct engagement with Xi in more than seven years, apart from multilateral summits.
The two leaders last appeared together at the BRICS 2024 summit in Kazan, Russia.
Their Tianjin meeting will be closely watched for signals of a potential reset in India-China relations, which were severely strained after the deadly border clashes in 2020.
Recent months have seen a tentative détente, with both countries resuming talks on reopening Himalayan border trade routes and discussing the resumption of direct flights after a five-year gap.
Will Modi Meet Putin?
On the sidelines of the SCO summit, Prime Minister Modi is also expected to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin.
While Indian officials have not confirmed the schedule, diplomatic sources in New Delhi suggest a bilateral meeting is likely, particularly to discuss energy cooperation, defense ties, and trade amid US sanctions pressure.
Russia has expressed optimism that the SCO platform could facilitate India-China-Russia trilateral talks, a format Moscow has long supported to balance power in Eurasia.
Trump’s Tariffs Loom Large
The SCO summit unfolds against the backdrop of escalating trade tensions triggered by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Trump, citing unfair trade practices and India’s purchase of discounted Russian oil, recently doubled tariffs on Indian imports to 50%. The move has rattled New Delhi, which had already been grappling with earlier US trade restrictions.
China, too, remains a primary target of Trump’s tariff policies, with American duties on Chinese tech and industrial goods heightening tensions between Washington and Beijing.
For Modi, the summit offers a chance to strengthen partnerships in Asia at a time when India’s access to Western markets is under strain.
Global South Solidarity
Chinese officials have framed the SCO 2025 summit as a powerful show of Global South solidarity.
By hosting leaders from Asia, the Middle East, and beyond, Beijing seeks to highlight an emerging post-American-led international order.
“Xi will want to use the summit as an opportunity to showcase what a post-American-led international order begins to look like and that all White House efforts since January to counter China, Iran, Russia, and now India have not had the intended effect,” said Eric Olander, editor-in-chief of The China-Global South Project, in remarks to Reuters.
The SCO, once focused narrowly on counter-terrorism, has evolved into a bloc with a broad mandate covering security, trade, and military cooperation. Its expansion to 10 full members and 16 dialogue/observer countries reflects growing appeal as an alternative forum for emerging powers.
India-Pakistan Angle
The Tianjin summit will also mark the first encounter between PM Modi and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif since the India-Pakistan military conflict earlier this year.
While no formal bilateral meeting is planned, the two leaders’ presence under the same roof underscores the SCO’s role as one of the few remaining platforms bringing India and Pakistan together.
China’s Strategic Messaging
For Beijing, hosting the summit is about more than diplomacy it is about signaling leadership of the Global South.
A senior Chinese foreign ministry official described the SCO as an “important force in building a new type of international relations.”
With Trump’s tariffs adding fuel to global trade disputes, China is positioning the summit as a counterbalance to US-led pressure campaigns.
What to Watch For
The SCO 2025 summit will be closely tracked for several key outcomes:
- Modi–Xi talks: Can the two leaders push forward on de-escalation and economic cooperation?
- India–Russia engagement: Will Modi and Putin agree on new energy or defense deals?
- Global South alignment: Does the SCO emerge as a stronger bloc against US trade and security policies?
- India-Pakistan dynamics: Will informal interactions hint at a shift, or will tensions dominate?
Conclusion
The SCO 2025 summit in Tianjin is more than a regional gathering it is a stage where the future of Asia’s geopolitics may be sketched out. For India, the summit comes at a time of economic pressure from Washington and cautious diplomatic overtures from Beijing and Moscow.
Prime Minister Modi’s participation, alongside Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and other world leaders, highlights the shifting power balance in an era where Donald Trump’s tariffs and America First agenda are reshaping alliances.
Whether the summit delivers concrete breakthroughs or remains symbolic, it underscores one fact: the SCO has become central to how Asia, and increasingly the world, negotiates its place in a turbulent global order.
Also Read: China’s Xi rolls out the red carpet for Putin and Modi as Trump upends global relations
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