Indian diaspora eagerly awaits PM Modi's arrival in China

Tianjin [China], August 30 : Members of the Indian community are eagerly waiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrival in Tianjin, China.

PM Modi will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit during his two-day visit to Tianjin. He will also hold bilateral meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping.

The Indian diaspora in Tianjin is ecstatic to meet their leader, as they described their excitement to ANI.

Lalit Sharma, a member of the Indian diaspora, said, "I am from Mohali. I have been living here in China for the last 30 years. We are very excited since we got to know that PM Narendra Modi is coming to China. We decided that wherever he visits, we will definitely gather to welcome him. We reached here last night and we are eagerly awaiting his arrival... The tensions between India and China have reduced considerably, and both nations have immense possibilities ahead. The coming 25 years belong to China and India."

Another member, Puran Chand Jaiswani, said, "I have been living in China for the last 20 years... We will meet PM Narendra Modi after seven years and are eagerly awaiting his arrival. He is coming here in Tianjin to attend the SCO Summit. We have come in large numbers from South China to welcome him."

Another member praised PM Modi for his "exceptional" work for India and said that the leader has made India's mark on the world stage.

"I have been living here for the last 17 years. We are very excited. When we got to know that he is coming to China, we couldn't control our excitement... We cannot express our feelings in words... What he has done for our country is exceptional and made India's mark on the world stage," he said.

PM Modi will receive a warm welcome in Tianjin as several artists have planned an Indian classical dance performance to showcase their respect for the Indian PM and culture.

Zhang Jinghu, a member of the dance group said,"I have learnt Odissi from my childhood days. I later also learnt it from an Indian guru...I like it. I learnt it for years and also became a performer as well as a teacher...I feel classical dance is like an ocean. If you want to learn it, you have to take it deep, you have to learn many stories...I introduced these things to China's students and they love it. They want to learn it for long and deep...It is an honour to perform in front of him. This is the first time I will see him. It is so exciting. This is a very good chance."

Another member of the dance group, Jin Shanshan (Eesha) said "I started learning Bharatnatyam in 1994. It has been almost 30 years. For today's program, we have been preparing for about a month. We prepared a new item...I think now more and more people have started to know it and enjoy it. I got about 100 students...We feel so excited and we practised a lot. It is a big thing for us."

The SCO summit is crucial for India, as it comes after the US's 50 per cent tariffs took effect. Of these, a 25 per cent tariff was imposed on New Delhi for buying Russian crude oil.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with the host, Chinese President Xi Jinping, will also be attending the summit.

The SCO comprises 10 members. In addition to India, they include Belarus, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. There are also several dialogue partners and observers. India has been a member of the SCO since 2017, having been an observer since 2005. During its membership period, India has held the chair of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in 2020 and of the SCO Council of Heads of State from 2022 to 2023.

This will be PM Modi's first visit to China following the Galwan Valley clashes in 2020. Recently, India and China have taken multiple steps to smooth their bilateral relationship, including the resumption of trade through the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, Shipki La Pass in Himachal Pradesh, and Nathu La Pass in Sikkim.

During the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visit on August 18-19, both sides agreed to resume direct flight connectivity between the Chinese mainland and India at the earliest, and finalise an updated Air Services Agreement. They also agreed on the facilitation of visas to tourists, businesses, media and other visitors in both directions.

Both sides agreed to uphold multilateralism, enhance communication on major international and regional issues, maintain a rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, and promote a multipolar world that safeguards the interests of developing countries.

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