PM Modi to visit Japan, China from August 29 to September 1; to attend India-Japan Summit and SCO meet

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a four-day visit to Japan and China from August 29 to September 1, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Friday. The trip will cover two key visits, the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit in Tokyo and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin.

According to the MEA, Modi will visit Japan from August 29 to 30 at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. This will mark Modi's eighth visit to Japan and his first formal summit with Ishiba, who assumed office earlier this year.

"During the visit, the two Prime Ministers will review the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan, including defence and security, trade and economy, technology and innovation, and people-to-people exchanges. They will also discuss issues of regional and global importance,” the ministry said in a statement. It added that the visit would "reaffirm the longstanding special bond of friendship” between the two countries.

Following his Japan leg, Modi will travel to China from August 31 to September 1 to attend the SCO Summit in Tianjin. The summit that is scheduled for August 31 will bring together leaders from 20 countries. On the sidelines, Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with several participating heads of state and government.

The invitation for the SCO Summit was extended by Chinese President Xi Jinping. This will be Modi's first visit to China since 2018, when he met Xi twice, once at the informal summit in Wuhan and again at the SCO Summit in Qingdao. Xi later visited India in 2019 for a second informal summit that was meant for stabilising ties after the 2017 Doklam standoff.

However, relations between the two Asian powers soured dramatically in 2020 following the deadly clashes in Galwan Valley. It killed 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops. This confrontation marked the lowest point in bilateral relations in the six decades.

Recent months have also seen efforts to reset relations. On October 21, 2024, New Delhi and Beijing reached an understanding to end the long drawn border standoff along the Line of Control (LAC). Two days later, Modi and Xi met in Kazan, Russia where they agreed to revive relations and pursue dialogue on the boundary dispute.