With Modi and Putin, China Stages a Show of Strength: Reuters

Darwin, August 27 — Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to host a regional security summit in China next week, bringing together leaders from over 20 countries. According to a Reuters analysis published on Tuesday, the summit is expected to be a strong display of solidarity among the Global South, especially in the era of Donald Trump. It is also seen as an opportunity for sanction-hit Russia to score a diplomatic win.

Alongside President Putin, leaders from Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia have been invited to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, scheduled for August 31 to September 1 in Tianjin, a northern port city in China.

For Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this will be his first visit to China in seven years. The trip marks a significant effort by both neighbors to ease tensions that escalated after the deadly border clashes in 2020.

At last year’s BRICS summit in Kazan, Modi, Xi, and Putin shared the stage even as Western nations distanced themselves from Russia due to its war in Ukraine. Last week, Russian embassy officials in New Delhi said Moscow hoped to soon hold trilateral talks with China and India.

Eric Olander, Editor-in-Chief of the China-Global South Project, said:

“Xi wants to use this summit as a chance to show what the post-America world order could look like. The efforts by the White House since January to counter China, Iran, Russia, and now India are not yielding the desired results.”

He added:

“Just look at how much BRICS rattled Trump—that alone shows how much influence these groupings are meant to exert.”

A Chinese foreign ministry official recently said this year’s summit would be “the largest since the SCO was founded” and described the bloc as a “crucial force in building a new kind of international relations.”

Founded in 2001 with six Eurasian countries, the SCO has since expanded to include 10 permanent members and 16 dialogue partners and observers, with activities ranging from security and counterterrorism to economic and military cooperation.

“Lack of Clear Implementation”

Analysts note that although expansion remains a priority for many member states, the SCO has made little concrete progress in achieving effective cooperation. For China, the group symbolizes anti-U.S. solidarity among Global South nations, especially amid rising global instability.

Manoj Kewalramani, head of Indo-Pacific Studies at the Takshashila Institution in Bengaluru, India, said:

“The SCO’s goals and how they’re implemented are unclear. It’s a platform many respond to, useful for narrative-building, but it’s not very effective in addressing real security issues.”

Tensions persist between India and Pakistan. During the SCO defense ministers’ meeting in June, India refused to agree to a joint statement because it did not mention the April 22 deadly attack on Hindu pilgrims in Indian Kashmir, which led to one of the worst India-Pakistan clashes in decades.

India also declined to condemn Israeli attacks on Iran in a separate SCO statement.

However, recent steps toward de-escalation between India and China, coupled with U.S. tariff pressures under the Trump administration, may create the conditions for a constructive meeting between Xi and Modi.

Olander said:

“India may choose to set aside its pride and overlook some of this year’s SCO difficulties to maintain momentum in its improving relationship with China — something that is now a key priority for Modi.”

Indian Foreign Ministry official Tanmay Lal said India’s priorities within the SCO include trade, connectivity, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. Modi is also expected to hold some bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.

Analysts anticipate that India and China could announce further steps to ease tensions, such as military disengagement, relaxing trade and visa restrictions, climate cooperation, and more people-to-people engagement.

While no major policy announcements are expected, experts emphasize that the SCO’s appeal among Global South nations should not be underestimated.

As Olander put it:

“This summit is more about perspective — and that perspective is a powerful one.”

Modi is expected to depart China shortly after the summit, while Putin will stay longer to attend a military parade in Beijing commemorating World War II — a rare extended overseas trip for the Russian leader.