Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in China for the SCO Summit, marking his first visit in seven years. From Sunday, the port city of Tianjin will play host to 20 world leaders, including PM Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit will be held in this modern Chinese city, which will be a remarkable event in the organisation's history. Why did China choose Tianjin over Shanghai, as the name suggests? What will be the agenda of the PM Modi-XI Jinping meet? What will be the potential outcome? Here are the key takeaways from the SCO Summit.
Why did China choose Tianjin over Shanghai As Venue?
For many countries, Tianjin may be a city they are hearing about for the first time. It is not well-known to people outside China. However, this port city holds significant importance for the country. It is China’s third-largest urban area, after Beijing and Shanghai, and has traditionally served as a port for Beijing, located 120 km to the northwest.
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From 1860 to 1945, Tianjin was a unique patchwork of nine foreign-controlled enclaves, each with its own flavour, under a temporary multinational military rule. Later, Tianjin has reinvented itself as a powerhouse of modern trade. Its port is considered to be the tenth largest in the world. There are shipping everything from containers to massive cargo loads. The city proudly supplies much of Beijing’s rice, keeping the capital’s plates full, while its factories churn out cars, chemicals, and cutting-edge tech.
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Tianjin’s not just about industry—it’s a brain hub, too. With a slew of universities pumping out bright graduates, the city’s a magnet for innovation. It is home to the Tianhe-1A supercomputer, which stole the global spotlight as the world’s fastest in 2010.
Attracted by Tianjin's growth and energy, big names like Airbus, Motorola, and Mitsubishi have set up shop. Over the last decade, this city has been one of the fastest-growing on the planet, blending its rich history with a bold, forward-looking spirit. It’s the kind of place where the past and future shake hands.
In 2015, two massive explosions took place in the city's port, killing over 170 people. It has been labelled as one of the deadliest industrial accidents in Chinese history.
- By choosing Tianjin, China is sending a message to the West
- The city has a foreign past, but today it belongs to China
- China is using Tianjin as a stage to challenge the Western-led global order
- Experts say Tianjin can use the SCO platform to become a key hub for the Belt and Road Initiative
- The city can also expand China’s ties with Central Asia and Eurasia
PM Modi - Xi Jinping Meet on Sunday
- PM Modi will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday during the SCO Summit.
- The meeting comes amid US President Trump’s 50% tariffs on India and China’s own trade tensions with the US.
- A key focus will be strengthening India-China ties, which have improved since the 2020 Galwan clash and the Ladakh standoff.
- Modi stated that India-China relations are crucial and positively impact regional peace and prosperity.
- India and China also decided to work together after the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi visited New Delhi earlier this month
- India and China plan to work on resolving their boundary issues through an expert group.
- They also agreed to resume direct flights and simplify visa processes.
- PM Modi is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Trump tariffs, the Ukraine conflict, and the situation in Gaza.
Who All Will Be Attending? Dignitaries include:
Top dignitaries include:
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
- Russian President Vladimir Putin
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
- Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly
- Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif
- Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko
- Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
- Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev
- Krygyz President Sadyr Japarov
- Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.
- Myanmar’s junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing
Some non-SCO countries will also be represented at the summit, mainly from Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, and Vietnam, reflecting China’s aim to strengthen ties in the region. Leaders from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe will attend to represent their countries, and Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel is also expected to join the summit.