NEW DELHI, Aug 19 — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China later in August, his security chief said today during talks with Beijing’s foreign minister in New Delhi.
Modi will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit opening on August 31 in Tianjin, his first visit to China since 2018, Ajit Doval said, in public comments at the start of a meeting with Beijing’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
“Our prime minister will be visiting for the SCO summit,” Doval said, speaking of “new energy” in diplomatic ties.
China “attaches great importance” to Modi’s visit to the SCO summit, Wang said, according to an official translator.
“History and reality proves once again that a healthy and stable China–India relationship serves the fundamental and long term interests of both of our countries,” Wang added.
Wang is due to meet Modi later today.
The world’s two most populous nations are intense rivals competing for influence across South Asia, and fought a deadly border clash in 2020.
India is also part of the Quad security alliance with the US, Australia and Japan, which is seen as a counter to China.
But caught in global trade and geopolitical turbulence triggered by US President Donald Trump’s tariff war, the countries have moved to mend ties.
During talks yesterday with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s foreign minister, Wang said the two countries should “view each other as partners and opportunities, rather than adversaries or threats”. — AFP
India’s PM Modi to visit China for first time since 2018 amid push to mend ties
