‘Gathering of solidarity, friendship’: China welcomes PM Modi for SCO summit in Beijing

China has officially welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit China later this month for the Tianjin summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), marking his return to China after a hiatus of over seven years.

The summit will take place from August 31 to September 1. “China welcomes Prime Minister Modi for the SCO Tianjin Summit,” stated Guo Jiakun, Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

Guo Jiakun expressed optimism about the summit’s outcomes. “We believe that with the concerted effort of all parties, the Tianjin summit will be a gathering of solidarity, friendship and fruitful results, and the SCO will enter a new stage of high-quality development,” he noted.

The summit is expected to see significant turnout, with “leaders of over 20 countries, including all member states of the SCO and heads of 10 international organisations,” according to Guo.

The Tianjin summit is anticipated to be the largest since the SCO’s founding. “The SCO Tianjin Summit will be the largest summit in scale since the establishment of the SCO,” Guo highlighted.

PM Modi’s visit to China comes when US President Donald Trump imposed harsh tariffs on the BRICS nations for buying Russian oil and for allegedly challenging the hegemony of the US dollar.

On Thursday, Trump ruled out the possibility of trade negotiations with India until the issue of tariffs is resolved. When asked about trade negotiations with India after 50 per cent tariffs on the country, Trump said: “No, not until we get it resolved.”

Meanwhile, Brazilian President Lula da Silva dialled Modi on Thursday night.

During the call, Modi recounted his visit to Brazil in July this year, when the two leaders agreed on a comprehensive framework to bolster cooperation in areas including trade, technology, energy, defense, agriculture, health and people-to-people ties. 

Along with Brazil, Trump has imposed 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, citing India’s continued purchase of Russian oil.