On Wednesday, India's NDTV channel reported that Modi plans to visit China to attend the key regional summit, which will be taking place from August 31 to September 1. This will be Modi's first visit to China since the 2020 Galwan border clash between the Indian and Chinese soldiers, the broadcaster reported.
"China welcomes Prime Minister Modi to China for the SCO Tianjin Summit. We believe that with the concerted effort of all parties, the Tianjin summit will be a gathering of solidarity, friendship and fruitful results, and the SCO will enter a new stage of high-quality development featuring greater solidarity, coordination, dynamism and productiveness," Guo told a briefing.
There has been a long-standing territorial dispute between India and China over nearly 60,000 square kilometers (23,166 square miles) of land along the border of India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, as well as a section of mountainous territory in northern Kashmir. The Line of Actual Control, which serves as the border between the countries in this region, runs through the highland region of Ladakh. In the fall of 1962, the dispute escalated into a border war.
A new escalation of conflict in Ladakh occurred in May 2020, when a series of clashes between the militaries of China and India occurred in the Galwan River area, after which New Delhi and Beijing increased their military presence in the region. In February 2021, most of the troops moved to the region were withdrawn, and the parties continued negotiations. In September 2022, India and China carried out a new stage of troop withdrawal on the border, but did not resolve all issues.
In October 2024, New Delhi and Beijing reached an agreement on patrolling procedures along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. India and China had reportedly completed the disengagement of troops in the region.