Tianjin: Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tianjin, China, shortly after the United States imposed increased tariffs on Indian goods. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 25th Heads of State Council meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
According to Anadolu Agency,Modi's visit to China marks his first in seven years. He arrived on Saturday to participate in the SCO summit and engage in discussions with President Xi. The summit, spanning two days from Sunday to Monday, is taking place against a backdrop of global geopolitical tensions, including conflicts in the Gaza Strip, the ongoing Ukraine crisis, and international tariff disputes. Modi is also scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.
The recent US decision to double tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to 50% has added another layer of complexity to the discussions. The US cited India's oil purchases from Russia as the reason for the tariff increase. Xi and Modi's last meeting occurred in October during the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, founded in 2001, is a political and security alliance comprising ten members: China, Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. In 2023, trade between India and China saw India exporting goods worth $18.1 billion to China, while imports from China totaled $125 billion.