PM Modi, Xi Jinping shake hands at SCO Summit in Bishkek, share brief exchange

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged a handshake as they entered the meeting hall at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Tuesday.

The brief interaction between the two leaders came amid a gradual improvement in India-China relations following years of tensions triggered by the 2020 Galwan Valley clash.

PM Modi and Xi were seen speaking to each other after posing for a group photograph with other leaders attending the SCO Summit. The two leaders then walked side by side towards the venue before shaking hands as they proceeded into the meeting hall.

The latest interaction is significant as New Delhi and Beijing have stepped up high-level engagement in recent months following a prolonged period of strategic mistrust.

It also comes ahead of the Brics Summit, which India is scheduled to host in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, with Xi expected to attend the gathering along with a large Chinese delegation, according to media reports.

From Galwan tensions to renewed engagement

The latest handshake comes against the backdrop of a gradual thaw in India-China ties that began with the meeting between PM Modi and Xi on the sidelines of the Brics Summit in Kazan in 2024.

The two leaders subsequently met in Tianjin in August 2025 on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. During that meeting, PM Modi and Xi welcomed the positive momentum and steady progress in bilateral relations.

PM Modi had also stressed the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas, underlining that a stable border remains essential for the continued development of bilateral ties.

Relations between the two Asian powers had come under severe strain following the Galwan clash in eastern Ladakh in June 2020, in which soldiers from both sides were killed. The military standoff along the Line of Actual Control resulted in a prolonged period of tensions and strategic mistrust between New Delhi and Beijing.

The Kazan meeting between PM Modi and Xi marked a significant shift, with both sides subsequently taking steps towards stabilising ties and restoring several channels of engagement.

Border peace remains key to ties

The latest interaction also comes amid continued discussions between India and China over the boundary question.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval recently travelled to Beijing for the 25th round of Special Representatives’ talks on the India-China boundary issue. Doval held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the visit.

Following the talks, Doval said that the improvement in bilateral relations was directly linked to the maintenance of peace and tranquillity along the border.

“We meet in keeping with the guidance of our leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, who have given clear and positive direction to our relationship both at Kazan and Tianjin,” Doval said.

The NSA also pointed to progress in people-to-people ties, highlighting the successful conduct of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Nathu La and the resumption of traditional border trade through all three designated passes.

He said these developments had brought “tangible benefits” to people, particularly those living in border areas.

PM Modi’s diplomatic engagements in Bishkek

The handshake between PM Modi and Xi came a day after the Prime Minister held a substantive meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Bishkek.

During his talks with Putin, PM Modi made a fresh appeal for an end to the Russia-Ukraine war and reiterated India’s support for resolving the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.