Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed New Delhi on Thursday for a two-nation tour of Japan and China, seeking to deepen economic and strategic ties as India grapples with higher U.S. trade tariffs. Modi will meet Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo on 29–30 August for the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit, his first standalone visit to Japan since 2018. Officials expect the leaders to sign several memorandums of understanding, with Tokyo poised to announce a 10 trillion-yen ($68 billion) investment programme over the next decade focused on semiconductors, artificial intelligence and critical minerals. The Indian leader will then travel to Tianjin for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, where he is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on 31 August—the first meeting between them in more than seven years. Preparatory discussions include reviving direct flights, reopening Himalayan border trade points and easing investment curbs. Indian officials say Xi paved the way for the rapprochement by sending a confidential letter to President Droupadi Murmu in March, shortly after Washington raised tariffs on both Asian economies. Modi is also expected to confer with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the summit sidelines. New Delhi hopes the Asia swing will secure fresh investment for its “Make in India” manufacturing drive and broaden strategic options as President Donald Trump’s duties of up to 50 percent on Indian exports disrupt access to the U.S. market.