Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hold a meeting in China
In a busy schedule at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China's port city of Tianjin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been engaging in a series of crucial conversations with global leaders.
Modi's visit to Tianjin marks his first in seven years. The diplomatic whirlwind began on Saturday, with Modi's arrival for the two-day gathering.
On Sunday, Modi held a conversation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, marking a noticeable and cautious warming of ties between the two nations. The meeting, which took place around noon local time, is a significant development considering the last meeting between the two leaders was on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia's Kazan in October.
The conversation between Modi and Xi Jinping is likely to have covered a range of topics, including bilateral relations and regional issues. The warming of ties between China and India appears to be accelerated by a surprise turn in US-India ties in recent weeks.
In a separate development, Modi spoke with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone call after his arrival in Tianjin. The conversation, which is a part of the developing story, focused on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Modi expressed India's full support for all efforts to restore peace and stability in the region. The conversation also discussed the humanitarian aspect of the conflict.
Modi's continued purchase of Russian oil has tested US President Donald Trump's patience, with significant economic penalties being leveraged on India. Trump has placed India's imports into the US under 25% tariffs and then slapped an additional 25% on the country over its imports of Russian oil. This move is in part a penalty for India's purchase of Russian oil.
The meeting between Modi and Russian leader Vladimir Putin during the summit will be the first between the two leaders since the US imposed 50% tariffs on Indian imports into the US. This meeting will undoubtedly provide an opportunity for both leaders to discuss the current state of their bilateral relations and the implications of the US tariffs.
As the story develops, we will continue to bring you updates on Modi's diplomatic engagements at the SCO summit in Tianjin. Stay tuned for more.
