Delhi, 30 August (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has just concluded a dynamic two-day official visit to Japan, marked by historic engagements and promising developments, and is now poised to depart for China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin beginning August 31. This tour underscores Modi’s pivotal role in enhancing India’s geopolitical footprint amid evolving global alliances.

During his Japan visit, which included the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit held in Tokyo, PM Modi met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, strengthening the Special Strategic and Global Partnership. The discussions spanned a wide range of sectors including defense, trade, technology, and innovation. Modi also toured the Tokyo Electron Miyagi factory in Sendai, a leader in semiconductor manufacturing, signaling a strong focus on deepening technological collaboration. The reception by the Indian diaspora in Japan was warm and enthusiastic, and the visit was hailed as yielding “productive outcomes” with hopes for scaling the India-Japan friendship to new heights.

Immediately after this, PM Modi will head to China for the SCO Summit, his first visit there since 2018. The summit, under the theme “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move,” will bring together more than 20 world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who will chair the proceedings. Modi’s summit engagement is seen as a crucial step in thawing India-China ties, which have experienced tensions since the 2020 border clashes but have since shown signs of stabilization.

On the sidelines of the SCO Summit, PM Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with President Xi Jinping. These discussions come after a significant meeting in 2024 at a BRICS summit in Russia that helped ease tensions. The visit represents a concerted effort by India to strengthen strategic dialogue with China, especially in the face of rising geopolitical challenges, including recent US trade tensions.

India’s rapprochement with China also includes resumed visas, pilgrimage routes like the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, and the prospect of resuming direct flights post-pandemic and border tensions. The SCO Summit will tackle vital issues such as regional security, economic connectivity, counter-terrorism, and sustainable development, aligning with India’s broader goal of fostering peace and progress in the Indo-Pacific region.

Prime Minister Modi’s concurrent state visits to Japan and China highlight his diplomatic finesse in balancing India’s relations with two of Asia’s key powers, bolstering trade, technology partnerships, and geopolitical stability for wider regional and global cooperation.

This strategically timed journey by PM Modi not only reaffirms India’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties with its neighbors but also projects India’s intent to play a constructive, stabilizing role on the global stage through active multilateral engagement in forums like the SCO.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar