Tianjin, Aug 31: Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrived to attend the official reception for Heads of State and Heads of Government at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin on Sunday.

PM Modi shook hands with Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan, and the three posed for a picture. PM Modi then joined other world leaders for a family photo.

The SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation established in Shanghai on June 15, 2001. The SCO member states are: China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Belarus. The SCO has two observer states — Afghanistan and Mongolia and 14 dialogue partners - Turkey, Kuwait, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, the Maldives, Myanmar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi held a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin. The two leaders agreed on the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas and reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation based on mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity.

"Had a fruitful meeting with President Xi Jinping in Tianjin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. We reviewed the positive momentum in India-China relations since our last meeting in Kazan. We agreed on the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas and reaffirmed our commitment to cooperation based on mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity", PM Modi said in a post on X after the meeting.

PM Modi also met Politburo Standing Committee member Cai Qi and discussed bilateral economic, political and people-to-people exchanges between India and China.

On the sidelines of the summit, PM Modi met several leaders, including Myanmar's State Security and Peace Commission Chairman, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Nepal's PM, K.P. Sharma Oli, and the Maldives President, Mohamed Muizzu.

PM Modi arrived in China's Tianjin on Saturday to attend the two-day SCO Summit. Travelling from Tokyo after concluding his Japan visit, he received a colourful welcome upon his arrival at the Binhai International Airport in Tianjin.

(IANS)

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