Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-nation visit to Japan and China later this month, for high-level engagements aimed at boosting strategic ties, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed.
PM Modi will be visiting Japan on August 29 and 30 on the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to attend the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit. This will be PM Modo's eighth visit to Japan and his first Summit with PM Ishiba.
“During the visit, the two Prime Ministers will review the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan, including defense and security, trade and economy, technology and innovation, and people to people exchanges, as well as discuss issues of regional and global importance,” the MEA said in a statement.
“The visit will reaffirm the longstanding special bond of friendship between the two countries,” it added.
Following his Japan visit, PM Modi will travel to China from August 31–September 1 at the invitation of President Xi Jinping to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin. The summit will be attended by the leaders of more than 20 countries.
On the sidelines of the Summit, the Prime Minister is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with several leaders participating in the SCO Summit.
India has been a member of the SCO since 2017 and held its presidency in 2022–23.
This will be PM Modi's first visit to China after the the Galwan Valley clash in 2020 and comes at a time when both the nations are working towards improving their bilateral ties.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also met PM Modi during an official visit to India from August 18 to 19.
"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," Prime Minister's Office stated in a release.