Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tianjin, China, on Saturday to attend the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit scheduled for August 31 and September 1.

Upon his arrival, he received a warm and enthusiastic welcome from members of the Indian diaspora, who greeted him with Indian flags and cheers. PM Modi shared several photographs of the welcome on X, describing it as “a warm and special welcome from members of the Indian diaspora from across China.”

A Chinese woman married to an Indian expressed her excitement after meeting PM Modi, stating, “Today we are very happy to come here to see Modi ji…I am very excited, I almost cried. I love Modi, I love India.”

This visit marks Prime Minister Modi’s first trip to China in seven years. In addition to attending the SCO summit, he is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday. These discussions are expected to review India–China economic relations and explore steps to further normalise bilateral ties.

On September 1, PM Modi will also hold a separate bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The SCO summit comes at a sensitive time for India, as it navigates strained economic ties with the United States following recent tariff hikes.

India has been a member of SCO since 2017 and previously held the presidency of the Council of Heads of State of SCO during 2022-23. Leaders from Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia are also participating, marking the fifth time China has hosted the annual summit.