SCO Summit 2025: In China, Modi Meets Putin, Says India and Russia's 'Close Cooperation' Important

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Tianjin, China, from August 31 to September 1 for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. He met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the summit.

• In the Tianjin Declaration, adopted by the Council of Heads of State, the SCO nations expressed solidarity with the victims of April 22, and stressed the need for accountability.

  “The Member States strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025. They expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the deceased and the injured. They further stated that the perpetrators, organisers, and sponsors of such attacks must be brought to justice,” the declaration read.

• Modi thanked the SCO members for the support, adding, “This attack was not only an assault on India’s soul but also an open challenge to all countries that believe in humanity. In such a situation, the question arises — should we continue to accept the support certain countries extend to terrorism? We must stand united and state clearly that double standards on terrorism are unacceptable,” he said.

• Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for a bilateral meet and went to the venue in the same vehicle. He said the two countries have always stood shoulder to shoulder even in the most difficult situations. "Our close cooperation is important not only for the people of both countries but also for global peace, stability and prosperity."

• He also mentioned that Russia and India have been continuously discussing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. "We welcome all the recent efforts for peace. We hope that all parties will move forward constructively. A way has to be found to end the conflict as soon as possible and establish lasting peace," adding that this is the call of the entire humanity.

• After the meet, he posted on X that the two leaders had an "excellent meeting" on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. They discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in all sectors, including trade, fertilisers, space, security and culture.

• Russian President Putin slammed Ukraine’s western allies, stating that the "crisis in Ukraine did not arise as a result of an ‘invasion’ but as a result of a coup d’etat in Kyiv, supported by Ukraine’s western allies."

• Modi concluded his visit to China by posting on X that he interacted with various world leaders at the SCO Summit. He emphasised India’s stand on key global issues. "Thankful to President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government and people for the successful organisation of this Summit."

• At the SCO summit, all member states ,except India, reaffirmed their support for China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

• Kyrgyzstan will be taking over the chairmanship of the SCO for the 2025–2026 period, following China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday pledged that China will work with all SCO members to elevate the regional security forum. Speaking in Tianjin, Xi said the organisation sets a model for a new type of international relations and reiterated its firm opposition to external interference.

—Reuters

PM Modi met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the summit venue ahead of the SCO proceedings.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin for around three to five minutes before the SCO Summit session on Monday, reported our Diplomatic Editor Shubhajit Roy from Tianjin, China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged SCO members to resist a Cold War mentality and bullying, without naming the US. He said the SCO sets a model for new international relations, opposes external interference and power politics, and stands for fairness and justice. Xi also called for boosting trade, cultivating a “garden of civilisations,” and promoting a correct view of World War Two.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the SCO Summit that a development bank should be established promptly to support economic cooperation among member states.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the “large and ongoing” trade deficit with China during his meeting with President Xi Jinping, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri noted that the issue has been under discussion for years, including during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Delhi. Modi highlighted that addressing the trade deficit in the context of broader strategic engagement could improve perceptions and strengthen India-China relations.

At the SCO Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the global governance system should be made more just and equitable and stressed the need to continue promoting reforms within the SCO.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said China has invested more than 84 billion USD in other SCO member states, highlighting its economic engagement within the bloc.

Alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin, the SCO Summit includes leaders such as Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon, Myanmar’s military chief Min Aung Hlaing, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet, and Maldives’ President Mohamed Muizzu.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said China will provide 2 billion yuan in grants to SCO member states this year to support regional cooperation.

Former Foreign Secretary Shashank said the SCO should focus on containing terrorism and developing infrastructure and connectivity for the future. He added that the organisation can provide an important perspective from the Global South and key members of the Eurasian and Indo-Pacific regions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has begun his speech at the SCO Summit, addressing leaders of member states.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented India’s vision for the SCO at the 2025 Summit.

He said, "...India has played a very positive role as a member of the SCO. India's vision and policy for the SCO is based on three important pillars. S - Security, C- Connectivity and O - Opportunity."

"India has been bearing the brunt of the terrorism for the last four decades. Recently, we saw the worst side of terrorism in Pahalgam. I express my gratitude to the friendly countries that stood with us in this hour of grief", PM Modi said.

“This attack was an open challenge to every country and person who believes in humanity. In such a situation, it is natural to raise the question of whether the open support of terrorism by some countries can be acceptable to us. We have to unanimously oppose terrorism in every form and colour. This is our duty towards humanity,” PM Modi said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the SCO Summit, “Discussed with China’s Xi and other leaders outcome of summit with Trump in Alaska.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin said, “Crisis in Ukraine did not arise as a result on invasion, but as a result of a coup d-etat in Kyiv, supported by Ukraine’s Western allies.

“Attempts by the West to drag Ukraine into NATO are one of the causes of the Ukraine crisis,” he added.

Speaking at the SCO Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Terrorism is a collective challenge to humanity. India has been emphasising on unity in fighting terrorism as no country and society can feel safe from this scourge.”

At the SCO Summit in Tianjin, Russian President Vladimir Putin defended Russia’s actions in Ukraine and said the West is responsible for the ongoing crisis.

"In this regard, we highly appreciate the efforts and proposals from China and India aimed at facilitating the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis," he said.

"I would also note that the understandings reached at the recent Russia–U.S. meeting in Alaska, I hope, also contribute toward this goal."

Russian President Vladimir Putin listed four "unshakable principles" of the multipolar world order: Int Law, Self-determination, Sovereignty and Non-interference.

Jairam Ramesh criticised Modi for calling India and China “victims of terrorism” and staying silent on China-Pakistan links during Operation Sindoor.

Writing on X, Ramesh said, "For a long time, India has been accusing China of its 'double standards' and 'double-speak' on terrorism. Now, Prime Minister Modi tells President Xi that India and China are both victims of terrorism. If this is not the so-called elephant capitulating before the so-called dragon, then what is it?"

Further adding, "Even more anti-national is the fact that Prime Minister Modi remained completely silent in his conversation with President Xi about China's jugalbandi with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor…"

China is set to hold a Victory Day parade in Beijing on September 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender. Ahead of the event, Beijing has emphasised the role of China and the Soviet Union in defeating fascist forces in Asia and Europe from 1937 to 1945.

China reports more than 35 million deaths during the war, including 300,000 civilians killed by Japanese troops in the 1937 Nanjing Massacre.

-Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi travel in the same car to the destination of their bilateral meeting.

-PTI

"After the proceedings at the SCO Summit venue, President Putin and I travelled together to the venue of our bilateral meeting. Conversations with him are always insightful," PM Modi tweeted.

 Kyrgyzstan will be taking over the chairmanship of the SCO for the 2025–2026 period, following China.

The SCO members condemned United States-Israel attacks on Iran.

India expressed deep concern and strongly condemned “actions that have led to numerous casualties among the civilian population and a catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip”.

India also condemned the strikes by Israel and the United States against Iran in June 2025. 

India had not signed onto the statement issued by SCO on the issue in June this year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the SCO has the potential to serve as a model for multilateralism and an inclusive world order.

Speaking at the plenary session, he remarked, “SCO members can increase cooperation for reforms in global institutions; we can unanimously call for UN reform.”

He further cautioned, “Keeping the aspirations of the Global South confined in outdated frameworks is a grave injustice to future generations.”

—PTI

The bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin begins in Tianjin, China.

-ANI

At the SCO summit, all member states ,except India, reaffirmed their support for China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

A statement by India's Ministry of External Affairs mentions, "Prime Minister underlined the need for coordinated action against terror financing and radicalization. Thanking member countries for their strong solidarity in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, he emphasized that there should be no double standards in dealing with terrorism and urged the group to hold countries who perpetrate and support cross-border terrorism accountable.

During a bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Modi, the latter says, "... India and Russia have always stood shoulder to shoulder even in the most difficult situations. Our close cooperation is important not only for the people of both countries but also for global peace, stability and prosperity."

-ANI

"...We have been continuously discussing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. We welcome all the recent efforts for peace. We hope that all parties will move forward constructively. A way has to be found to end the conflict as soon as possible and establish lasting peace. This is the call of the entire humanity," PM Modi says during a bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin.

-ANI

In a joint declaration issued at the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China, member countries expressed their “deepest sympathy and condolences” to the families of those killed and injured in the Pahalgam attack.

The declaration underlined that the perpetrators, organisers, and sponsors of such acts should be held accountable.

PM Modi shares remarks from meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin

Modi tells Putin that all Indians are waiting to welcome him to India in December.

The bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin ends.

-ANI

Russian President Putin slammed Ukraine’s western allies, which, according to him “the coup d’etat in Kyiv”, that ultimately resulted in the crisis in Ukraine. 

“Crisis in Ukraine did not arise as a result of an ‘invasion’ but as a result of a coup d’etat in Kyiv, supported by Ukraine’s western allies,” Putin said.

-The Hindu

Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his “dear friend”. He said bilateral relations were developing dynamically.

-Reuters

"Had an excellent meeting with President Putin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin. Discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in all sectors, including trade, fertilisers, space, security and culture," PM Narendra Modi posts on X.

He added that the two leaders exchanged views on regional and global developments, including the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. "Our Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership remains a vital pillar of regional and global stability"

Modi concluded his visit to China, he posted on X. The Prime Minister said, "I attended the SCO Summit and interacted with various world leaders. Also emphasised India’s stand on key global issues. Thankful to President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government and people for the successful organisation of this Summit."