Modi begins Japan, China visit to boost investments and reset relations
PRIME Minister Narendra Modi left on a four-day visit on Thursday evening to Japan and China, his first to the latter country in seven years, to seek investments and reset ties amid strained India–US relations following the White House’s decision to impose tariffs on Indian goods.
In his departure statement, the PM said that during his visit to Tokyo for the 15th India–Japan Annual Summit, the endeavour would be “to give new wings” to India–Japan collaboration, expand the scope and ambition of economic and investment ties, and advance cooperation in new and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and semiconductors.
From Japan, the PM will travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin.
In Tianjin, the PM is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday afternoon and with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. Modi said he was looking forward to meeting President Xi, President Putin and other leaders on the sidelines of the summit.
“I am confident that my visits to Japan and China would further our national interests and priorities, and contribute to building fruitful cooperation in advancing regional and global peace, security and sustainable development,” the PM said.
The PM will be in Japan on August 29 and 30, meeting business leaders to discuss his government’s ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ initiative and the role Japanese corporations could play in it.
India is keen to attract Japanese investments and joint ventures for its small and medium enterprises (SMEs), along with greater cooperation between Japan’s prefectures and India’s state governments. Modi will meet the governors of Japanese prefectures on Saturday.
The outcomes of the visit to Japan could include deeper cooperation in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, critical minerals and infrastructure projects, particularly the construction of more high-speed rail corridors.
Japan is expected to pledge doubling its investments in India from 5 trillion yen ($34 billion) to 10 trillion yen ($68 billion). On Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the PM’s visit to Tokyo would be an opportunity to launch several new initiatives to build resilience in the relationship and respond to emerging opportunities and challenges.
In China, the Modi–Xi talks could lead to an announcement on further border de-escalation, resumption of direct flights after five years, and easing of trade barriers. During the visit of Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi to New Delhi, Beijing had agreed to look into India’s concerns on the supply of fertilisers, tunnel boring machines and rare earth elements. India is also considering easing investment restrictions placed on Chinese companies.
On Thursday, China’s Ambassador to India Xu Feihong posted on social media that trade between China and other SCO members had risen from 100 billion yuan in 2011 to 3.65 trillion yuan in 2024. He said that in the first seven months of 2025, China’s trade with SCO member states reached 2.11 trillion yuan, up three per cent year on year — “a record high.”
