'Are You Clapping Because...': PM Modi's Light-hearted Comment On Visit To China and Japan Sparks Laughter

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made a light-hearted comment about his recent visits to Japan and China, evoking laughter among the audience.

The prime minister made the comment at Semicon India 2025.

At the event, when the prime minister said, "Last night, I returned to India after concluding my visits to Japan and China," the audience began to clap.

Upon seeing this, PM Modi joked, "Are you all clapping because I went there or because I returned?"

Reacting to the comment, one X user wrote, "Amazing sense of humor."

Another user commented, "Great way to start a major semiconductor conference with some levity. This kind of natural humor helps build rapport with international delegates and showcases India's growing confidence in global forums."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China after seven years for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, is being perceived as a significant diplomatic move by experts, especially amid the imposition of U.S. penal tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil. Amid tensions in U.S.-India relations following the tariffs, India has decided to strengthen ties with Russia and China to safeguard its national and strategic interests.

PM Modi’s last visit to China was in June 2018 for the SCO summit.

India-U.S. relations were strained following the Galwan clash between Indian and Chinese forces in 2020.Modi and Xi last met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, in 2024.

Modi's recent visit to China was preceded by visits from Indian officials, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, to China, as well as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to India.PM Modi held bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the visit, and the two leaders agreed to work together as partners and set aside rivalry. They also discussed the border issue and agreed not to let it define their relationship.

"India is willing to work with China to seek a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable solution to the border issue," PM Modi said, according to a Chinese ministry statement.

PM Modi made it clear that India-China relations will not be influenced by any third party.

"Both India and China uphold strategic autonomy and independent diplomacy, and their bilateral relations will not be influenced by third parties. Cooperation between the two countries will make the 21st century truly an Asian century, and together, the two sides will strengthen the power of multilateralism in international affairs," Prime Minister Modi told President Xi Jinping during their talks.

President Xi Jinping, during the talks told the Indian Prime Minister that India and China should accommodate each other's concerns and uphold harmonious coexistence to achieve a "Dancing of the Dragon and the Elephant".

Also Read: 'India-China Must Be Partners, Not Rivals; Shouldn't Let Border Issue Define Ties': Chinese Foreign Ministry Post Modi-Xi Talks