China's major port city of Tianjin will be in international focus for the next two days as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit is being held. The event will also include crucial bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The summit and the talks between these leaders hold special significance for India, especially at a time when Donald Trump's tariff policy has strained India-US relations.
It has been seven years since Prime Minister Modi visited China. His last visit was in 2018 to Wuhan, following the Doklam standoff. The current situation is different, India and China are trying to get the relationship back on track amid global instability caused by Trump's trade strategies.
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On Sunday, Modi and Xi Jinping will hold two bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the SCO summit, while on Monday Modi will hold talks with Russian President Putin.
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For Modi, sharing the stage with Xi and Putin at the summit will be a clear message to Trump. Recently, Trump and his officials have intensified their criticism of India for buying oil from Russia amid the Ukraine war. White House adviser Peter Navarro even called the Ukraine crisis "Modi's war".
For now, all eyes are on the results of the talks between Modi and Xi. Last October, in Kazan (Russia), the two leaders began talks after years when they did not even come face to face on international forums. This meeting took place when both the countries agreed to withdraw troops from the remaining two disputed areas on the LAC. After the Galwan conflict of 2020, relations between the two countries had deteriorated to an unprecedented level. Not only this, till May this year, India saw China as a rival, especially when Chinese military technology was helping it in tensions with Pakistan. But as the saying goes, a common enemy is the greatest ally, and Trump's policies have played this role, which reversed the US policy of pitting India against China.
Underlining these changing equations, President Xi earlier this year called for recasting India-China relations as a "dragon-elephant tango" so that both countries can safeguard their core interests.
Last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reiterated this conciliatory tone during his visit to Delhi and urged the two countries to see each other as "partners" and not "threats or rivals". During Wang Yi's visit, the two countries agreed to resume direct flights and visa facilitation, which will boost trade and cultural exchanges. It was also decided to reopen border trading points.
An important decision was that the two sides will re-activate the two-pronged strategy and ensure that border issues do not impact other bilateral matters. China remained India's second-largest trading partner even during the diplomatic standoff. India still relies heavily on Chinese equipment and raw materials. In such a situation, if India-China relations remain stable, it can help in reducing the impact of US tariffs. Since many of India's major exports are now subject to up to 50% duty, easy access to the Chinese market, smooth trade and supply chain will help India reduce its dependence on the US.