Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to China, describing it as a strong demonstration of India’s ability to reshape global dynamics. The Prime Minister returned to New Delhi on Monday evening after concluding a four-day tour of Japan and China, spanning from August 29 to September 1.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Singh wrote: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s successful visit to China is a testimony to his diplomatic skills and India’s ability to reshape and rebalance geopolitical ground realities. His visit has strengthened India’s connect with the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation). This visit will further firm up India’s position among the comity of nations. I congratulate PM Modi on his extremely fruitful visit to China.”
The remark comes as United States President Donald Trump renewed his remarks on India, alleging “totally one sided disaster” for trade relations while claiming that New Delhi has offered to reduce its tariffs to ‘nothing’ but remarked that “it’s getting late”.
PM Modi at SCO Summit in China
During his China leg, PM Modi attended the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1. He also held crucial bilateral meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Describing the engagements as “productive” in a post on X, the Prime Minister said: “Concluding a productive visit to China, where I attended the SCO Summit and interacted with various world leaders. Also emphasised India’s stand on key global issues. Thankful to President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government and people for the successful organisation of this Summit.”
At the Summit, Modi pressed for tougher action against terrorism financing and radicalisation, pointing to the Pahalgam terror attack. He called upon the SCO to hold accountable nations that sponsor or enable cross-border terrorism, while congratulating Kyrgyzstan for assuming the SCO presidency.
PM Modi’s Bilateral Meetings With Putin and Xi Jinping
In his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Modi underlined that ties between New Delhi and Moscow remain essential for global peace, stability and prosperity.
Separately, in talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO Summit, the two leaders welcomed the positive momentum since their October 2024 meeting in Kazan during the BRICS Summit. They stressed that India and China are partners in development, not adversaries, and agreed that differences should not spiral into disputes. Both emphasised that mutual respect and sensitivity are key for stability in Asia and the wider multipolar world order.
Beyond the high-profile bilateral meetings, Modi engaged with several world leaders at the SCO Summit reception in Tianjin, holding discussions with counterparts from Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Eurasia. Leaders from the Maldives, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, Armenia and Turkmenistan were among those present, with Modi reaffirming India’s commitment to broadening cooperation in multiple sectors.
Before travelling to China, the Prime Minister had visited Tokyo from August 29 to 30 for the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit. He lauded the outcomes of his Japan visit, expressing optimism that India-Japan ties will continue to scale new heights.
