Amid US strain, PM set to visit China after 7 yrs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to travel to China at the end of this month-his first visit to the country in seven years to attend the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), government sources said on Wednesday. Ahead of his arrival in China, Modi is slated to visit Japan on August 29.

- ARCHIS MOHAN

A bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO summit is also being planned, the sources said. While the government has yet to confirm such a meeting, it would likely attract global attention amid heightened tensions in both India-US and US-China relations, following the imposition of tariffs by American President Donald Trump.

Ahead of Modi's trip, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit India for the latest round of the Special Representatives dialogue on the boundary question, according to officials.

On Wednesday, Trump followed through on his warning to impose an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil. The move raises the total US tariff on Indian imports to 50 per cent.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to attend the SCO summit, which is due to take place in the Chinese city of Tianjin from August 31 to September 1.