Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to New Delhi on September 1, 2025, after concluding a significant four-day visit to Japan and China, during which he not only participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin but also held the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru.

The visit was described by PM Modi as “productive,” where he advanced India’s strategic, security, and economic interests while reaffirming cooperation with key global powers.

At the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China, Prime Minister Modi underscored India’s commitment to strengthening regional cooperation under the SCO framework.

He articulated India’s vision along three central pillars – Security, Connectivity, and Opportunity. Stressing that peace and stability remain prerequisites for prosperity, Modi called for decisive action against terrorism in all its manifestations.

He urged SCO member nations to adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism, emphasising the need to eliminate terror financing and radicalisation networks.

Thanking members for expressing solidarity following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, he reiterated that there should be no “double standards” in combating cross-border terrorism and insisted on accountability for countries that sponsor or perpetrate such violence.

This strong statement was consistent with India’s longstanding demand within international forums to clamp down on cross-border terror threats, particularly emanating from its neighbourhood.

The SCO Summit also symbolised intensifying strategic camaraderie between India and Russia. The warmth in the equation between Prime Minister Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin was visibly highlighted when the two leaders shared a relaxed car ride in Putin’s official Aurus Senat limousine before their bilateral meeting. According to reports, President Putin even waited for Prime Minister Modi to join him, reflecting mutual respect and strong personal rapport.

This interaction built upon the increasing convergence between India and Russia on issues of security, energy, defence partnership, and multipolar global order.

Prime Minister Modi also thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese government for their hospitality and successful organisation of the Summit while welcoming Kyrgyzstan’s assumption of the next SCO Presidency. The Summit concluded with the adoption of the Tianjin Declaration, charting out future cooperation among SCO members.

Before his engagements in China, Prime Minister Modi undertook a two-day bilateral visit to Japan from August 29–30, at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru.

This marked the 15th Annual India-Japan Summit, a key institutional dialogue mechanism driving deeper cooperation across multiple sectors. Prime Minister Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Kantei (Prime Minister’s Office, Japan), symbolising the high regard accorded to the strategic partnership.

Bilateral talks between the two Prime Ministers recalled the longstanding friendship between India and Japan, rooted in shared civilizational ties, democratic values, and a convergent strategic outlook on regional and global challenges.

Discussions focused on broadening the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership, which has expanded rapidly over the past decade. Both leaders expressed satisfaction at the sustained momentum of ties, spanning security, defence, trade, infrastructure investment, science and technology, energy, people-to-people exchanges, and mobility partnerships.

Prime Ministers Modi and Ishiba welcomed the existence of over 70 sectoral dialogue mechanisms and working groups that provide constant institutional engagement between both nations.

They stressed that these frequent high-level exchanges and ministerial dialogues signify growing mutual trust and the depth of cooperation.

Expanding defence and maritime security cooperation was identified as a crucial component of bilateral relations, with both leaders expressing satisfaction at the trajectory of these engagements and instructing their respective officials to convene the fourth 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Tokyo at the earliest.

The two leaders conveyed serious concern about the deteriorating security situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea, reiterating their opposition to unilateral efforts and coercive attempts to alter the regional status quo.

They underlined the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation and overflight and called for all maritime disputes to be addressed in strict adherence to international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

This joint reiteration reflected the deepening strategic alignment between India and Japan in opposing regional destabilisation, particularly from increasing militarisation and territorial disputes.

Counterterrorism cooperation formed another major pillar of the joint statements. Both leaders unequivocally condemned terrorism and violent extremism, including cross-border terrorism, and specifically denounced the Pahalgam terror attack of April 2025.

They stressed the urgent need to bring to justice the perpetrators and financiers of terrorist crimes without delay. They also endorsed the call for concerted actions against all UN-designated terrorist groups and entities, including Al Qaeda, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and affiliated proxies.

Furthermore, they highlighted the importance of dismantling terrorist financing networks, rooting out safe havens, and blocking cross-border terrorist movements. The reference to such groups, particularly those active in South Asia, reinforced the shared recognition of terrorism as a grave threat to regional security and development.

Taken together, Prime Minister Modi’s engagements in Japan and China reflected India’s sharpened strategic outreach in Asia. While the visit to Japan reinforced bilateral depth through security collaboration, economic ties, and geopolitical alignment in the Indo-Pacific, the SCO Summit provided a multilateral platform for India to push its priorities on security and connectivity while positioning itself as a key stakeholder in Eurasian peace and stability.

Modi’s strong condemnation of terrorism, coupled with his emphasis on cooperative mechanisms under the SCO, highlighted India’s role as a responsible global player advocating rules-based order.

Simultaneously, the personal warmth displayed in his interactions with world leaders, notably Putin and Xi, demonstrated India’s unique ability to engage constructively with diverse powers despite geopolitical divergences.

The four-day visit significantly advanced India’s strategic partnerships and underlined its commitment to the principles of peace, cooperation, and inclusive economic opportunity at both bilateral and multilateral levels.

Based On ANI Report