Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thurday emplaned for a high-profile foreign tour covering Japan and China, where he is set to hold key bilateral and multilateral meetings, including with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
#WATCH | Delhi | Prime Minister Narendra Modi emplanes for Tokyo, Japan. He is on a two-day visit to Japan at the invitation of Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba to participate in the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit, marking PM Modi’s eighth visit to the country.
(Source: DD/ANI) pic.twitter.com/A9MUhk41UE
— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2025
In his departure statement, PM Modi underscored the significance of the trip, stating, “During my visit to Japan, we would focus on shaping the next phase in our Special Strategic and Global Partnership, which has made steady and significant progress over the past eleven years… From Japan, I will travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Tianjin, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping… I also look forward to meeting President Xi Jinping, President Putin and other leaders on the sidelines of the Summit.”
In China, I will take part in the SCO Summit in Tianjin, a forum where India has always played an active and constructive role. India will keep working with SCO members to address various shared challenges. I will also be meeting President Xi Jinping, President Putin and other…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 28, 2025
“I am confident that my visits to Japan and China would further our national interests and priorities, and contribute to building fruitful cooperation in advancing regional and global peace, security, and sustainable development,” he added.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also highlighted that the engagements would deepen bilateral ties and strengthen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
PM Modi’s Japan Visit
Modi is travelling to Japan from August 29 to 30 at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba for the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit. According to ANI, both leaders are expected to conduct a comprehensive review of their partnership, assessing progress made in recent years and discussing new avenues of collaboration.
The summit programme also features a visit outside Tokyo, which, as per officials, will showcase cultural and regional cooperation. Modi will additionally meet Japanese political leaders, interact with “Friends of India in Japan”, and participate in a business leaders’ forum with industrial heads from both countries to boost trade, technology, and investment ties.
This will be Modi’s first standalone trip to Japan in nearly seven years and his first annual summit with Ishiba. He last travelled for the Annual Summit in 2018.
PM Modi To Meet Xi Jinping On Aug 31, Putin On Sept 1 In China
From Japan, Modi will proceed to China from August 31 to September 1 for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin. On the sidelines, he will hold bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping on August 31 and President Vladimir Putin on September 1, reported India Today.
The meetings come against a backdrop of strained ties with the United States after President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes on Indian exports, including steel, textiles, and agricultural products. Tariffs have risen as high as 50 per cent in some sectors, prompting India to threaten retaliatory steps and seek consultations at the World Trade Organisation.
Meanwhile, relations with China, though fragile following the Galwan Valley clashes of 2020, have shown tentative signs of stabilisation after sustained diplomatic and military dialogues. This will be Modi’s first visit to China in over seven years, his last being the informal Wuhan summit with Xi in 2018.
For Russia, the Tianjin meeting comes as Moscow, facing Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine, looks to reinforce its strategic partnership with India. Reports suggest trilateral discussions involving India, China, and Russia could also surface during these engagements.
The SCO summit is expected to host over 20 leaders from Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, with China aiming to showcase its leadership in the Global South. For India, the gathering presents a platform to reaffirm its multilateral role and balance its global alignments.
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