PM TO VISIT TO CHINA AMIDST SHIFTING GLOBAL ALIGNMENTS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China later this month to attend the SCO Summit, marking a key step in thawing India-China ties.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit China from 31 August to 1 September to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Summit in Tianjin. This marks his first visit to China since the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes, which triggered a deep freeze in bilateral ties and accelerated India's strategic alignment with the United States, as New Delhi sought to counterbalance China's aggression.

The visit comes at a time when India-China relations are gradually normalising after more than four years of military and diplomatic strain. A key turning point came during the October 2024 BRICS Summit in Kazan, where Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to a complete disengagement from all friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). This led to the 21 October agreement restoring pre-2020 patrolling norms in Depsang and Demchok, including resumed grazing rights and military withdrawal.

Since then, both sides have cautiously resumed structured engagement, with significant steps such as the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, visa reinstatement for Chinese nationals, and renewed backchannel dialogue on investment rules and supply chain frameworks.