Leaders Modi and Xi acknowledge the significance of India and China's economies in maintaining global trade stability, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping recently held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin. During the meeting, both leaders acknowledged the role of India and China's economies in stabilizing world trade.
Despite not finalizing any specific bilateral trade agreement during the meeting, the two leaders agreed on the facilitation of visas to tourists, businesses, media, and other visitors in both directions. They also discussed the resumption of direct flight connectivity between the Chinese mainland and India at the earliest and finalizing an updated Air Services Agreement.
The bilateral meeting took place ahead of the SCO Summit, which is attended by the SCO's 10 member states, including Belarus, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, in addition to India.
India has been a member of the SCO since 2017, having been an observer since 2005. During its membership period, India has held the chair of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in 2020 and of the SCO Council of Heads of State from 2022 to 2023.
Prime Minister Modi also noted that India and China both pursue strategic autonomy during the meeting. The leaders deemed it necessary to expand common ground on bilateral, regional, and global issues and challenges, such as terrorism and fair trade in multilateral platforms.
Meanwhile, the resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra was a topic of appreciation during a separate meeting between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing. The Yatra, a sacred pilgrimage for Hindus and Buddhists, was resumed this year.
Elsewhere, US President Donald Trump announced tariffs targeting around 60 countries or trade blocs on April 2. The US originally imposed a 30% levy on China but paused it for 90 days due to ongoing trade negotiations. However, a 50% tariff was imposed on New Delhi, including an additional 25% for purchasing oil from Russia.
PM Modi is also set to hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. The details of the meeting are yet to be disclosed.
The statements issued by the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed these developments. The source of the information is ANI.
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