PM Modi meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin
What's the story
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently in China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. This is his first visit to the country in seven years. On Sunday, he held bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit in Tianjin. The two leaders last met about 10 months ago during the BRICS summit in Russia.
Diplomatic efforts
Modi's visit to China amid US-India ties downturn
Modi's visit to China comes amid a sudden downturn in India-US ties due to Washington's trade and tariff policies. The meeting between Modi and Xi aims to improve bilateral relations between the two Asian neighbors. The SCO summit, which started on Sunday with an official banquet hosted by Xi, is being attended by 20 foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Upcoming events
SCO summit to continue on Monday
The leaders' summit will be held on Monday, with most attendees expected to stay for China's largest military parade in Beijing on September 3. The parade marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and World Anti-Fascist War. This year's SCO summit is significant as it is China's largest head-of-state diplomacy event so far.