Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit China later this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, his first trip to the country since the deadly border clash in Ladakh in 2020. The high-stakes diplomatic visit comes at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump has issued fresh tariff threats against India, warning of a potential increase beyond the existing 25% imposed on New Delhi. Washington has linked the punitive trade measures to India’s continued energy and trade ties with Russia.

China, also a major buyer of Russian energy, has stepped up efforts to deepen its strategic partnership with India amid the shifting global geopolitical landscape. Modi is expected to travel to the Chinese city of Tianjin for the SCO leaders’ summit, scheduled for August 31 and September 1. The multilateral bloc includes India, China, Russia, and Pakistan, among others. While it remains uncertain whether Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend, Modi’s message on counter-terrorism is likely to draw attention in light of recent cross-border incidents, including the Pahalgam killings and “Operation Sindoor” in Jammu and Kashmir. Ahead of the summit, India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had visited China for respective SCO ministerial meetings. In both forums, Indian officials strongly reiterated New Delhi’s zero-tolerance stance on terrorism, with Singh notably criticizing Pakistan without naming it, in the presence of Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif. Should Sharif attend the summit, observers will closely watch whether Modi delivers a pointed message in the leaders’ session, reinforcing India’s regional security concerns.