Tianjin SCO summit: PM Modi holds bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping has begun in Tianjin, the Chinese city hosting the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. Sources in India’s external affairs ministry said the bilateral summit talks were scheduled for 20 minutes as the two leaders discuss the broad contours of India-China relations, and geopolitical situation.

Tianjin is buzzing with anticipation this weekend as lights, flags, and banners transform the city into a showcase for the SCO Summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival on Saturday evening — his first visit to China in more than seven years — has drawn global attention.

PM Modi posted on social media soon after landing, “Landed in Tianjin, China. Looking forward to deliberations at the SCO Summit and meeting various world leaders.”

Earlier, PM Modi was awarded a warm cultural welcome at his hotel where artistes performed Indian classical music and dance, symbolising goodwill between the two countries. Tianjin, usually better known for its bustling markets and river views, has taken on a festive air as world leaders gather for the SCO summit.

Two giants and a thaw in the chill: The Modi-Xi calculus

While the SCO’s official agenda includes security, economic cooperation, digital transformation, and climate issues, all attention is focused on the much-anticipated meeting between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. It’s their first substantial dialogue in years marked by military face-off in eastern Ladakh, triggering turbulence in trade, and — most recently — a sharp chill in India-US ties due to new Washington tariffs.

The timing is as delicate as the choreography outside the summit venue.

PM Modi’s own words , shared with Japan’s The Yomiuri Shimbun before arriving, built expectations, “Given the current volatility in the world economy, it is also important for India and China, as two major economies, to work together to bring stability to the world economic order.” Officials suggest the leaders are expected to take stock of economic ties and discuss steps to restore trust — critical after the bloody Galwan Valley standoff in 2020.

Relations have shown small but steady signs of a reset. Just weeks ago, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Indian leaders including PM Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in New Delhi.

The outcomes? Commitments to jointly maintain peace along the contested frontier, reopen border trade and resume direct flights. With a handshake likely set to capture global front pages, observers are watching for progress beyond optics — substance over symbolism.

Diplomatic dance card: Putin, peace, and the search for substance

There is much more than a two-country diplomacy saga. The Tianjin summit, marking the SCO’s 25th year, brings together over 20 heads of state — including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and key leaders from Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the United Nations.

In a year when war rages in Ukraine and West Asia , energy security and food prices dominate conversations in every corridor, and China eyes to position itself as a champion of “greater Eurasian cooperation” — the atmosphere is tense, but hopeful. This also comes at a time when Xi and China are battling their own challenges at home and abroad — financial, strategic and also of credibility as a predictable diplomatic and geostrategic player.

For PM Modi, the summit is an opportunity to put India’s voice firmly at the centre of major regional debates, from digital transformation to cross-border terrorism and economic partnerships. And for China, hosting the event is about projecting both stability and leadership — a counter to growing Western influence and an uncertain world economy.

Why the world is watching Tianjin

At stake is far more than press releases and official photos. The SCO, which began mainly as a security bloc for China, Russia, and their Central Asian neighbours, has in the last decade grown to include giants like India and resource-rich Iran. This year, Belarus is also expected to join as a full member, while new observer and dialogue partners from Southeast Asia and Africa signal the bloc’s rising global profile.

More than ever, Tianjin’s summit is testing whether the “Nato of the East,” as some dub the SCO, can truly deliver on ambitious promises — joint action on terrorism, food and energy security, climate change, data defence, and even artificial intelligence — amid persistent rivalries and conflicting interests.

Summit outcomes: Beyond symbolism?

Leaders at the SCO summit are likely to issue a joint declaration addressing security, trade, and climate — a tangible signal that Eurasia intends to chart its own path in an era of global flux. There are high hopes for progress on border management and expanded people-to-people exchanges, but even summit insiders acknowledge that deep-rooted mistrust and national priorities could limit breakthroughs.

What looks visible is the transformation of Tianjin for the SCO summit. Will it become a metaphor for a world in transition — hopeful, stunning, and tinged with uncertainty? Whether this weekend’s meetings deliver real steps forward or remain largely ceremonial, the future of global governance may be linked, more than ever, to what comes out of the meeting when Asia’s heavyweights PM Modi and Xi sit across face-to-face.