India's Modi to visit China after 7-year gap amid escalating US tensions: report

New Delhi (Web Desk): In a significant diplomatic move amid growing strains with the United States, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit China for the first time in over seven years.

The visit is expected to take place at the end of August, where Modi will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin.

According to a report by Reuters, diplomatic sources have confirmed that Modi’s trip will begin on August 31, marking a potential thaw in relations between New Delhi and Beijing following years of tension — particularly after the deadly border clash in 2020 in the Himalayas.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has yet to officially comment on the visit.

This development comes at a time when India’s relations with the United States have become increasingly strained. U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed the highest tariffs in Asia on goods imported from India, adding pressure to an already tense trade and diplomatic environment.

Modi's visit will be his first to China since June 2018, and follows a brief meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the BRICS summit in Russia last October — a moment that signaled the beginning of cautious engagement between the two Asian powers.

Meanwhile, Trump has also warned India over its continued purchase of Russian oil amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The U.S. has hinted at potential consequences, pending the outcome of its final diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire.

India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is currently on an official visit to Moscow, where he is expected to discuss India's position on Russian oil imports and strengthen defense cooperation — including pending deliveries of the S-400 air defense system.

Sources also indicate that Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar is scheduled to visit Russia in the coming weeks, underscoring India’s strategic balancing act amid shifting global alliances.