SCO Summit 2025: On Sunday, the first day of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan were seen together in a group photograph. No formal talks took place between the two leaders, as had been anticipated, following recent military tensions and Operation Sindoor.
Both leaders were in the front row at the summit's welcome reception, but at least eight other leaders were positioned between them.
At the welcome reception held at the end of the first day of the summit, all member countries and invited leaders took a traditional group photograph, which the organisers termed a ‘family photo’. Modi and Sharif were in the front row, but a considerable distance separated them. Chinese President Xi Jinping stood in the centre, with Russian President Vladimir Putin beside him. In line with India's policy of no talks until the cessation of terrorism, no contact occurred between the two leaders.
PM Modi held bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a significant part of his first visit to China in seven years. During this meeting, Modi raised the issue of cross-border terrorism. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that Modi highlighted the issue's impact on both India and China, emphasising the need for mutual support. However, the official statement did not explicitly name Pakistan. This meeting represents a step towards improving India-China relations following trade tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. Both countries agreed that border disputes would not be the sole defining factor in their relationship.
Tensions escalated between India and Pakistan following India's retaliatory action against terrorist bases in Pakistan under Operation Sindoor in May 2025. India claimed that Pakistan receives 80% of its weaponry from China. Despite this, at the SCO summit, India and China focused on normalising their relationship.
PM Modi met with Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli of Nepal, President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives, and military leader Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar. He described the relationship with Nepal as deep and special and expressed hope for early and fair elections in Myanmar. Improved relations with the Maldives were also noted.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated that his country would not beg for dialogue and was prepared to respond to aggression. In the past, PM Modi had attempted peace initiatives with Shehbaz's brother, Nawaz Sharif, including an invitation to his swearing-in ceremony in 2014 and a visit to Pakistan. However, these efforts did not yield the desired results.
