Amid Rift With Trump, PM Modi To Hold Bilateral Meet With Xi Jinping On Sunday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday (31 August) during his first visit to China in seven years, The Indian Express has reported.

The two leaders last met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024, while Modi’s previous visit to China was in 2018.

The visit comes as India and China work to mend ties following the 2020 military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, triggered by Chinese incursions.

Efforts such as resuming the Mansarovar Yatra, restoring visas for Chinese tourists, and exploring direct flight links marked early attempts at normalisation.

Amid these developments, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong has voiced strong support for India against US tariffs, describing Washington’s recent 50 per cent duties on Indian goods as “bullying.”

Xu called India and China the “double engines of Asia” and urged deeper cooperation between the two economies, highlighting closer ties ahead of upcoming SCO meetings.

Prime Minister Modi is expected to use his visit to further engage President Xi, even as the border dispute remains unresolved.