NEW DELHI: At the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit held in Tianjin, China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi connected with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking one of the most closely watched diplomatic events of the year. Against the backdrop of global trade tensions and shifting alliances, the summit became a stage for candid engagements, high-stakes discussions, and strong geopolitical messaging.

The summit began with striking gestures of warmth. PM Modi and Putin walked hand in hand, entering the meeting hall to join Xi Jinping. The three leaders were captured in moments of animated conversation and shared laughter, signaling both comfort and confidence as they prepared for pivotal talks. This rare display of camaraderie attracted attention from global media and observers, highlighting an emerging dynamic among the world’s major non-Western powers. As more than twenty regional leaders looked on, the optics sent a clear signal: India, China, and Russia are increasingly willing to assert their identities on the world stage, carving out an alternative to Western-led international frameworks.

At the heart of the summit was China’s push to redefine the global governance system. In his opening address, Xi Jinping critiqued “Cold War mentality” and methods of coercion, calling for a fairer international order and authentic multilateralism. Russian President Putin echoed these sentiments, inviting the bloc to “true multilateralism” and laying out a vision for stability through Eurasian cooperation. 

The U.S. trade war and its impact on global supply chains provided a backdrop for this dialogue. Both China and India have faced tariff pressures, which served as catalysts for the leaders to explore closer economic and security ties. The summit saw discussions about the establishment of a new SCO development bank and Beijing’s commitment of $280 million in grants and $1.4 billion in loans for member states, solidifying the organization’s ambitions.

For PM Modi, the summit represented a chance to recalibrate India’s approach to both China and Russia. His bilateral with Xi focused on normalizing relations after years of border tension, restoring border trade, reopening direct flights, and ensuring peace along the frontier. Both leaders acknowledged the need for a pragmatically managed partnership, mindful of persistent border issues and competition in local markets.

PM Modi’s meeting with Putin reinforced India’s commitment to its “multi-alignment” strategy. Putin referred to Modi as his “dear friend,” and the two leaders stood united against rising global uncertainty. In a highly symbolic moment, Modi accepted a ride in Putin’s armored limousine—a gesture widely interpreted as evidence of robust trust and enduring friendship.

The trilateral display in Tianjin projects a vision of unity among powers seeking to balance American influence. As Xi, Modi, and Putin laughed and shared informal exchanges, they cast themselves as architects of a new global order, leveraging their roles as the world’s most populous and resource-rich nations.

Meanwhile, the summit’s imagery contrasted sharply with the sidelined presence of other leaders—most notably Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who was observed watching quietly from the wings as the trio engaged at the center of the diplomatic stage.