Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi have arrived China to attend Tianjin SCO Summit 2025.
Sharif has made frequent trips to the neighbouring friendly nation since becoming PM in 2022. However, it is Premier Modi’s first tour to China in seven years. He last visited the country in 2018.
As the leaders of two hostile neighbours will come face-to-face during the two-day summit, all eyes are on their possible meeting. Will they meet?
2025 Tianjin SCO Summit:
Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit 2025 will be held in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1 (Sunday, Monday). Located on the shore of Bohai Sea, Tianjin is a direct-administered municipality in northern China.
Beijing has invited leaders from South, Central and Southeast Asia and Middle East to the 25th SCO Heads of State Council. The country is hosting the fifth and the largest gathering in the SCO history. Reports say the SCO Summit 2025 will gather more than 20 foreign leaders and 10 international organisations’ heads.
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO):
Established on June 15, 2001. Founding members: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan. India, Pakistan joined in 2017. Iran joined in 2023. Belarus in 2024. Observer states: Afghanistan and Mongolia. Dialogue partners: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Türkiye, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia. Kuwait, UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Myanmar and the Maldives.
Shehbaz Sharif:
Pakistan Foreign Office statement: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will hold meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang. The sides will discuss multifaceted dimensions of bilateral cooperation. The PM will attend the military parade with China and other world leaders in Beijing. The parade will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the World’s Anti-Fascist War. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar are accompanying him.
Shehbaz Sharif came to power in Pakistan in April 2022 after Imran Khan’s ouster as a result of no-confidence motion. Many claim Pakistan’s military establishment backed the motion. Shehbaz remained in office until August 2023 before the formation of a caretaker government. The caretakers conducted the General Elections in February 2024 which are widely believed as massively rigged. Some say Shehbaz himself lost the poll in his Lahore home constituency. But the results were altered in his favour. He subsequently returned to power in March 2024 as 20th premier of Pakistan, allegedly again with the support of the establishment. His cabinet member Khawaja Asif dubbed the incumbent setup as hybrid.
Narendra Modi:
Indian PM arrived China straight from Japan where he won $68 billion investment promise in India from Tokyo. He is visiting China after seven years. Earlier in July, two top members of his cabinet also went to Beijing.
India and China have longstanding dispute over border issue as they share over 3,500km long boundaries including disputed region of Tibet. Tensions have escalated since 2020, witnessing frequent military standoffs between the two. Many believe India is now looking towards China following tensions with the US over trade tariff.
Chances of Shehbaz-Modi Meeting:
Reports say Xi Jinping will host banquet in honour of the leaders and delegates of the SCO Summit. Shehbaz and Modi will face each other during the dinner. They will also face each other during the group photograph moment. However, there is a little possibility of the formal meeting between the two.
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