The 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit officially launched with a banquet hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The event was held in Tianjin, China.
The summit represents a major event for the 10-member group, with China inviting numerous foreign leaders and heads of international organizations, including the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The summit itself is scheduled to take place in a dedicated conference center, with addresses from the leaders of the SCO and other invited guests.
Prime Minister Modi’s address is generating significant interest, particularly given his meeting with Xi Jinping and the context of ongoing international trade discussions. The meeting is anticipated to establish a new direction for relations, with a joint statement also expected. Additionally, PM Modi is slated to meet with Putin during the SCO summit.
President Jinping, during the banquet, emphasized the SCO’s responsibility for regional peace and stability and for promoting the development of various countries amidst global uncertainties.
He expressed confidence that the summit would be successful, with the SCO playing an even larger role in promoting cooperation among member nations, unifying the Global South, and advancing global civilization. The Global South is a term often used to refer to economically developing nations.
India sees peace on the border as critical to the India-China relationship, and this has been clearly communicated by Prime Minister Modi to Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, PM Modi and President Jinping engaged in broad discussions focused on restoring bilateral ties.
During the meeting, Kwatra addressed Jinping’s view that the border issue shouldn’t define overall relations. India maintains that peace and harmony on the border are essential for the overall advancement of their relationship. Kwatra emphasized the inevitable impact that the border situation has on bilateral ties.
He added that maintaining peace on the border is an important ‘insurance policy’ for the relationship. During the Modi-Jinping meeting, discussions were held about the border, and the leaders discussed the successful troop withdrawals and the ongoing efforts to maintain peace in the border regions.
PM Modi emphasized the need for peace and harmony in border areas for the smooth development of bilateral relations, emphasizing that existing mechanisms should be used to prevent future disruptions in relations.