Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Japan from August 29 to 30 at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. He will attend the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit, marking his eighth trip to Japan and his first summit with Ishiba.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the leaders will review the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between the two countries. “During the visit, the two Prime Ministers will review the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan, covering key areas such as defense and security, trade and economy, technology and innovation, and people-to-people exchanges,” the MEA said in a statement.
The discussions will also include pressing regional and global challenges. Officials expect the visit to further deepen the longstanding friendship and cooperation between India and Japan.
China Trip for SCO Summit
After Japan, PM Modi will travel to China from August 31 to September 1 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin. He is visiting at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
On the sidelines of the SCO Summit, Modi is likely to hold several bilateral meetings with global leaders. India has been a member of the SCO since 2017 and previously held the presidency of the Council of Heads of State during 2022–23.
Recent Diplomatic Engagements
This visit follows recent high-level exchanges between India and China. Earlier this week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited India on August 18–19. He met PM Modi and delivered a message along with a formal invitation from President Xi for the SCO Summit.
“Mr. Wang Yi handed over a message and an invitation from President Xi to the Prime Minister for the SCO Summit being held in Tianjin. He also shared his positive assessment of the bilateral meeting with EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar and the 24th Meeting of the Special Representatives, which he co-chaired with NSA Ajit Doval during his visit,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stated.
Focus on India-China Relations
During his meeting with Wang Yi, PM Modi highlighted the importance of peace along the border. He stressed that India remains committed to finding a fair and mutually acceptable resolution to the boundary issue.
The PMO release said, “Prime Minister emphasised the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity on the border, and reiterated India’s commitment to a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question.”
Modi also thanked President Xi for the SCO invitation and expressed his support for China’s presidency of the summit. He conveyed that stable and constructive relations between India and China are essential for wider peace.
“PM underlined that stable, predictable, and constructive ties between India and China will contribute significantly to regional and global peace and prosperity,” the statement added.