SCO Summit: PM Modi’s First China Visit Since 2020 Galwan Standoff

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit China later this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, marking a significant moment in India-China relations as it will be his first trip to the neighbouring country since the violent Galwan Valley clashes in 2020 that brought bilateral ties to their lowest point in decades.

According to reports from CNN-News18 and official sources, the SCO summit is scheduled to take place from August 31 to September 1 in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin. Modi’s participation comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between the two Asian giants, following several high-level engagements over the past year.

Diplomatic Revival After Galwan

The deadly confrontation at Galwan in eastern Ladakh in June 2020 resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers, with casualties also reported on the Chinese side. It was the first such incident involving fatalities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since the 1962 India-China war. Since then, relations between the two countries have been strained, with military and diplomatic engagements focused heavily on managing the volatile border situation.

Efforts to normalise ties began gaining momentum in 2024, when Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, on October 23, 2024. The meeting, seen as a breakthrough, led to an agreement on disengagement and de-escalation in the disputed border regions.

Following that engagement, both nations announced a resolution of friction points at Depsang and Demchok, the two of the most sensitive areas along the LAC. The disengagement, which came into effect in October 2024, paved the way for the restoration of patrolling and grazing rights, reinstating the status quo that existed prior to the 2020 standoff.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that patrolling activities in these areas would resume based on longstanding pre-2020 arrangements. This move has been viewed as a major step toward re-establishing normalcy and rebuilding trust.

Resumption of Bilateral Engagements

Recently in June 2025, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar participated in ministerial level SCO meetings in China. Jaishankar later met President Xi in Beijing, where he conveyed India’s position on the recent developments in bilateral ties and emphasized the need for sustained political guidance to navigate remaining challenges.

Jaishankar’s visit came after Singh’s participation in the SCO defence ministers’ meet, where India notably refrained from endorsing a draft joint statement due to the omission of references to terrorism, particularly the Pahalgam terror attack. Prime Minister Modi’s visit to China hence followed a series of high-level interactions aimed at mending bilateral relations.

The diplomatic thaw has also seen concrete steps on the ground. Both countries recently agreed to resume direct commercial air connectivity, reinitiate the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra for Indian pilgrims, and streamline visa processes for greater people-to-people contact. India also announced the resumption of tourist visas for Chinese citizens, a move welcomed by the Chinese government.

Strategic Implications

The SCO summit in Tianjin, hosted by China as part of its rotating presidency, will provide a platform for leaders of member states including Russia, Pakistan, and Central Asian republics to deliberate on key regional and global issues. For India, the visit will be a tightrope walk: reaffirming its commitment to multilateral cooperation while navigating complex bilateral tensions.

During earlier SCO meetings, Jaishankar stressed that the organization must remain firm in its founding principles, particularly its stance against terrorism, separatism, and extremism. India has been vocal about ensuring that its concerns on these issues are acknowledged, especially in light of recent cross-border terror incidents.

As the region watches closely, PM Modi’s visit to China may mark the beginning of a cautious but significant shift in South Asia’s geopolitical landscape, a shift toward engagement after years of hostility and silence. The full impact of this visit, however, will depend on the outcomes of the summit and the trajectory of follow-up actions from both New Delhi and Beijing.