TIANJIN: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tianjin on Saturday evening for a major international summit hosted by China.
His visit marks the first trip to China since 2018 and follows immediately after securing a $68 billion investment pledge from Japan.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation gathering will bring together leaders from more than 20 countries on Sunday and Monday.
This summit occurs just days before Beijing hosts a massive military parade commemorating 80 years since the end of World War II.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is among 26 world leaders expected to attend the parade, though Modi was notably absent from the published attendee list.
China and India remain intense rivals competing for influence across South Asia despite a recent thaw in relations.
Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping last October in Russia for their first bilateral meeting in five years.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus.
Xi began welcoming leaders including Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Egyptian Premier Moustafa Madbouly on Saturday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to arrive in Tianjin for the summit alongside other prominent leaders.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also attend this largest-ever SCO meeting since its 2001 founding.
Multiple bilateral meetings are expected to occur on the summit sidelines, including discussions between Putin and Erdogan about the Ukraine conflict.
Putin will also meet with his Iranian counterpart to discuss Tehran’s nuclear programme amid renewed Western pressure.
Britain, France and Germany triggered a “snapback” mechanism on Thursday to reinstate UN sanctions on Iran for nuclear non-compliance.
Russia’s foreign ministry warned that reimposing sanctions against Iran risked “irreparable consequences” for regional stability. – AFP