PM Modi is scheduled to visit Tianjin next week for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, his first visit to China in over seven years. The summit hosted by President Xi is anticipated to provide a platform to express solidarity for the Global South, allow Moscow some breathing space amid Western sanctions and highlight Beijing’s growing influence in generating alternative global orders. Russian officials hope for some trilateral meetings among India, China and Russia on the sidelines, enhancing expectations of significant geopolitical signaling.
India’s Strategic Priority at SCO
The SCO summit coincides with a significant moment for New Delhi. After years of turbulent ties and military tensions along the Himalayan border, India is keen to maintain the tenuous understanding reached with Beijing. Analysts have suggested that the talks could bring forward gradual trust-building measures like limited troop withdrawals, removal of impediments to trade, or exploration of new avenues of cooperation.
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According to Eric Olander, a prominent observer of China and the Global South, India is likely to let go of earlier disputes in the SCO framework and work towards stabilizing relations with China. For Prime Minister Modi, de-escalating tensions with Beijing is not only a diplomatic preference but increasingly a strategic necessity, given New Delhi’s escalating trade and tariff pressures from Washington. The meeting thus holds promise for India’s dual objectives of maintaining regional stability and protecting its space of independent foreign policy choices.
Xi, Russia and Global Balance Shift
For China, the SCO platform therefore assumes a far greater importance than mere symbolism. Xi Jinping sees this as an opportunity to project an alternative international framework to U.S. led hegemonic dominance. His narrative implicates the SCO in efforts to create a fairer and more just multilateral order in which members of the Global South come together to resist unilateral pressures. Underpinning this vision is Beijing’s alignment with Moscow.
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Xi recently tagged China-Russia ties as the “most stable and strategically mature” among major powers, even dubbing it a cornerstone for global peace. The symbolism here is clear while India is attempting to cautiously reset ties with China, Beijing and Moscow are presenting themselves as anchors of a new bloc-oriented world order. Their relationship has grown closer since the onset of the Ukraine war, with Beijing refusing to condemn Moscow while emerging as a vital lifeline for Russia.
Modi’s presence at the SCO summit is more than a mere diplomatic show. It signifies India trying to balance economic pragmatism, security imperatives, and ever-shifting global power alignments. While much of the spotlight will be on Xi’s overtures and how Russia survives, the real account is how India maneuvers through the conflicting contradictions toward safeguarding its own interests. The Tianjin summit may not open all doors to resolving many long-standing disputes, but it could see a subtle recalibration in India-China relations and help in shaping the Global South on how to collectively endure a troubled global order.
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