PM Modi likely to visit China for the SCO Summit in September

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in early September.

PM Modi’s visit to China, if confirmed, will be the first after India’s ties with China were severely strained following the 2020 military standoff in Galwan along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. He is also likely to visit Japan during August-end for the annual Summit.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday that it would inform everyone at an ‘appropriate time’ about the possibility of PM Modi visiting China next month.

“The SCO meeting is some months away. The participation by countries is finalised as per the mutual convenience. We will let everyone know at an appropriate time,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. He was responding to a media query about the possibility of PM Modi’s visit to China for the SCO Summit.

MEA reaction came amid reports suggesting that PM Modi is likely to visit China for the SCO Summit. Both the governments have been making efforts to stabilize the bilateral relations.

External affairs minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Monday held a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing and raised the issue of restrictive trade measures and roadblocks to economic cooperation in the backdrop of restrictions on rare earth magnet supplies and fertilisers to India. He also called on the Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Beijing.