PM Modi China Visit Live Updates: After a gap of 7 years, PM Modi lands in China

The Indian diaspora in Japan is brimming with excitement ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit. In anticipation of his arrival, the community in Tokyo staged a vibrant performance of the iconic Bollywood song Jai Ho, composed by AR Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire.

Sunil Soni, a member of the Indian community, expressed his enthusiasm: "As an India, I feel very happy that PM Modi is visiting here... This will strengthen the India-Japan relationship... Modi Ji is on a world tour to make India's dream come true, and we are very happy for this... We are ready to welcome him. This is a moment of pride for us..."

He added that the community plans a grand welcome, including flower garlands and the Indian tricolour: "We are planning to welcome the whole community with flower garlands and the tricolour... There will be no gaps in PM Modi's welcome."

Another diaspora member, who has lived in Japan for 17 years, shared her admiration: "There are no words to express our gratitude for Modi ji, who has developed India in so many ways... We have seen him turn our dreams into reality, and now we are ready to welcome him again. Welcome, Modi ji! When you arrive, our hearts swell with pride, and our spirits soar. Your presence ignites a sense of excitement and enthusiasm within us."

Chinese President Xi Jinping will host more than 20 world leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1. The summit is seen as a display of Global South solidarity and diplomatic support for Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and leaders from Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia are expected to attend. Analysts note that the gathering highlights the bloc’s growing influence in regional and global affairs amid shifting geopolitical dynamics.

The SCO summit will mark PM Modi’s first visit to China in over seven years, following deadly border clashes in 2020. This will also be the first occasion since the Brics summit in Kazan, Russia, where PM Modi shared the stage with Xi and Putin, while Western leaders maintained distance from the Russian president over the ongoing Ukraine war.

Japan is expected to announce a decade-long investment plan worth 10 trillion yen (around $68 billion) for India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.

According to Kyodo News, the initiative is an upgrade of the previous five-year investment target set three years ago and aims to deepen economic ties between the two nations. The move is also part of broader efforts by Japan and India to promote a “free and open Indo-Pacific” amid China’s growing assertiveness in the region.

Sources indicate that the new investment target could be formally highlighted in a joint statement following summit talks between Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and PM Modi.

India’s Ambassador to Japan, Sibi George, highlighted the strategic significance of the Quad ahead of PM Modi’s two-day visit to Tokyo. Speaking to ANI, he noted that the Quad plays a key role in promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. He added that there will be several MoUs signed during the visit.

Ambassador George indicated that Prime Minister Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba are expected to discuss a wide range of geopolitical issues during the summit, including Quad-related cooperation.

He said, “When two important leaders of the Indo-Pacific, India and Japan, meet, particularly in this geopolitical situation, they will discuss the entire spectrum of geopolitical issues. Of course, the Quad is a very important topic that will be covered in the discussions.”

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri emphasized the strategic significance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Japan, beginning Friday. According to Misri, the trip will reaffirm India and Japan’s shared commitment to peace, prosperity, and stability in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

"The visit will consolidate our long-standing friendship. It will open fresh avenues of cooperation, and reaffirm our shared commitment to peace, prosperity and stability, both for the two countries as well as in our shared Indo-Pacific region and beyond," Misri said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to arrive in Japan on Friday for a two-day visit, marking the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. This will be PM Modi’s first standalone summit with Ishiba and his eighth visit to Japan since taking office in 2014.

During the summit, the two leaders will review bilateral ties across defense, trade, technology and people-to-people exchanges, while also discussing regional and global issues. The visit will provide an opportunity to launch new initiatives to strengthen the partnership and respond to emerging challenges.

The program includes a visit outside Tokyo, interactions with Japanese political leaders and a business forum with industry captains from both countries, aimed at deepening trade, investment and technological cooperation.