NewsGate Press Network

The entire world was waiting for this photo – Modi shaking hands with Xi Jinping in China.

And it finally happened on Sunday the 31st of August 2025, a day before the formal inauguration of this year’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting at the Chinese port city of Tianjin.

Modi was seen shaking hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan at the official reception of the SCO meeting.

The Prime Minister was then joined by other world leaders for a group photo, capturing a moment of unity and cooperation among SCO member nations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders at the group photograph.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi held several bilateral meetings, including one with Xi Jinping, where both leaders recognised the role of India and China’s economies in stabilising global trade, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Sunday.

According to the MEA, both leaders also focused on strengthening “people-to-people” ties through direct flights, visa facilitation, and the resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra.

“The two leaders noted the need to strengthen people-to-people ties through direct flights and visa facilitation, building on the resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra and tourist visa.

On economic and trade relations, they recognised the role of their two economies in stabilising world trade. They underlined the need to proceed from a political and strategic direction to expand bilateral trade and investment ties and reduce trade deficit,” MEA said in the statement.