A viral photo of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin laughing together at the SCO summit 2025 in Tianjin has sparked global debate. While the image portrays warmth and unity, analysts warn that it masks unresolved disputes, strategic rivalries, and shifting alliances.
A Picture Worth a Thousand Words
The widely shared clip shows the three leaders smiling in what seems like a friendly exchange. To many, it looked like a moment of camaraderie among Asia’s most powerful leaders. Yet diplomats and observers quickly pointed out that beneath the laughter lie deep fractures.
Gautam Bambawale, India’s former ambassador to China, described it as symbolic. “The dragon and the elephant are not dancing as yet. They are just looking at each other from opposite sides of a room and trying to assess the implications of their relationship.” His words underline the reality that India and China remain cautious of each other despite the optics.
India-China Frictions Remain
At the core of the tensions is the unresolved border conflict. The deadly clashes of 2020 still cast a shadow over relations. Troop deployments and infrastructure buildup on both sides keep the atmosphere tense.
Beijing’s growing military and intelligence partnership with Pakistan further complicates the picture. For India, China’s embrace of its rival continues to act as a barrier to genuine reconciliation. The summit smiles, therefore, did little to hide the reality of mistrust.
The SCO’s Expanding Role
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization provided the stage for the meeting. The SCO is expanding its membership and ambitions, bringing together nations that represent nearly half the world’s population. But experts argue that the grouping has limited impact on pressing global conflicts.
Jeremy Chan of Eurasia Group noted that despite being described as a security organization, the SCO avoids direct involvement in wars like Ukraine or Gaza. “More prominence does not necessarily mean more relevance,” he remarked. The summit, therefore, was more about optics and signaling than about binding agreements.
The Trump Factor
The timing of the SCO summit 2025 is critical. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has unsettled global markets with new tariffs. His trade measures have strained supply chains, creating uncertainty across Asia.
Beijing seized the opportunity to showcase the SCO as a platform for outreach to the Global South. Chan argued that Trump, unintentionally, is “breathing new life” into the summit by giving China space to present itself as a stable partner compared to Washington.
Read: Modi, Putin Reaffirm Ties at SCO Amid US Tariffs on India
Trump, for his part, continued his criticism of India’s trade practices. In a social media post, he called U.S.-India trade “a one-sided disaster,” highlighting high Indian tariffs on American goods and India’s reliance on Russian oil and defense imports. While India reportedly offered to reduce tariffs, Trump insisted that it was “too late.”
Optics and Global Attention
The viral image has also drawn attention in Western media. The New York Times called it a “smiling manifestation of a troika,” noting that Moscow has been eager to revive trilateral cooperation. Reports highlighted Modi’s visible closeness with Putin, including sharing a ride to a meeting.
For India, these images signal to Washington that it has strategic alternatives. By engaging with both China and Russia in the SCO, New Delhi reminds its Western partners that it maintains a flexible foreign policy.
Balancing Partnerships
Still, India’s choices reveal caution. Modi held talks with Xi, but New Delhi skipped the SCO military parade, signaling the limits of cooperation. Modi also left the summit quickly, flying directly to Tokyo afterward for talks with U.S. allies.
Analysts interpret this as deliberate signaling. “India is using this to opportunistically remind Washington that it has other options,” Chan said. Yet India continues to deepen its partnerships with the U.S., Japan, and other Indo-Pacific allies, balancing its presence on both fronts.
Multipolarity in Practice
A central theme of the summit was “multipolarity.” China envisions a world order where U.S. dominance is replaced by multiple centers of power, with Beijing playing a central role. India, however, defines multipolarity differently — not as a China-centric model but as an order where New Delhi plays an independent and equal role.
This divergence highlights why the SCO summit 2025, though rich in symbolism, struggles to deliver unified strategies. The member states share platforms and statements but pursue their own versions of global influence.
Implications for Investors
For global investors and businesses, the summit carries real significance. The SCO countries are central to energy flows, infrastructure projects, and trade corridors. With U.S. tariffs disrupting markets, observers are watching whether new alignments will reshape supply chains.
So far, the SCO has provided visibility rather than concrete solutions. Yet the very act of China, Russia, and India appearing together on a world stage suggests that shifts in trade and power balances could accelerate if U.S. policies remain unpredictable.
Beyond the Smiles
The photo of Modi, Xi, and Putin laughing in Tianjin captures the essence of international diplomacy — where appearances often conceal deeper struggles. Smiles suggest cooperation, but reality points to caution, mistrust, and strategic maneuvering.
The SCO summit 2025 highlighted both opportunity and uncertainty. For China, it was a chance to showcase leadership. For Russia, it was a platform to remain visible despite isolation. For India, it was a balancing act, reminding Washington of its options while keeping its future tied to Western partners.
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