Overview

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tianjin for his first China visit since 2018 and is set to meet Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the SCO summit.
• The United States raised duties on Indian imports from 25% to 50% on August 27, with the White House citing India’s continued purchases of Russian hydrocarbons.
• Economists warn the tariff jump will hit workers in exposed Indian industries such as textiles, jewelry and engineering, even if overall growth remains resilient.
• Beijing and New Delhi have taken steps to restore ties, agreeing to resume direct flights, issue visas to journalists and ease commercial and cultural exchanges after a 2024 border arrangement.
• Vladimir Putin arrived in China for an unusually long stay as Sino‑Russian coordination deepens, with U.S. officials saying China supplies much of the machinery and most semiconductors Russia needs and bilateral trade topping $240 billion last year.