At the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The gathering—amid rising U.S. tariffs and geopolitical tensions—signals China’s growing influence and a shared vision among Global South powers. Modi’s return to China after seven years adds significant diplomatic weight.

Jinping Hosts Putin and Modi at SCO Summit to Project a Power Alternative to U.S.

A Gathering with Deep Diplomatic Resonance

At the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, scheduled for August 31–September 1, 2025, in Tianjin, Chinese President Xi Jinping will welcome over two dozen leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi—the latter making his first visit to China in seven years.

Beyond the summit’s traditional focus on regional security and counterterrorism, this year’s gathering appears engineered to convey a narrative of Global South solidarity pushing back on U.S. dominance. It comes in the wake of Washington’s newly imposed 50 % tariffs on Indian exports—a punitive measure tied to Delhi’s Russian oil purchases—which has heightened India’s diplomatic recalibrations toward both Beijing and Moscow.

Strategic Symbolism Over Substantive Policy

The summit offers limited expectations for concrete policy breakthroughs, yet the optics carry considerable weight. Analysts interpret China’s hosting of this event—especially with India and Russia participating—as a visual assertion of its emerging leadership in a multi-polar world.

India’s Modi faces a delicate balancing act. While his participation in Tianjin signals New Delhi’s interest in stabilizing frayed ties with Beijing—even amid unresolved border disputes dating back to 2020—the diplomatic return is cautious. Analysts suggest the summit could pave the way for incremental steps like easing visa or trade hurdles or reactivating border disengagement mechanisms—but substantial reconciliation remains unlikely given long-standing mutual distrust.

Putin, Xi, and the Global South Strategy

For President Putin—grappling with Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine—the summit presents a vital showcase of continued relevance and partnership with Beijing. It also sets the stage for symbolic trilateral optics among Xi, Putin, and Modi, reinforcing a narrative of shared resistance to Western pressure.

Moreover, President Putin is expected to stay on in China after the summit to attend a grand military parade in Beijing, marking the 80th anniversary of WWII victory. The parade is designed to emphasize modern Chinese military capabilities—in a visually striking moment with global leaders—further amplifying geopolitical messaging.

Managing Internal Tensions

Notwithstanding the unity optics, the SCO summit must navigate deep internal cleavages—particularly the India–Pakistan tension and Sino-Indian mistrust rooted in their 2020 border showdown. While India’s presence is a sign of a pause in outright hostilities, analysts warn of limited policy convergence and symbolic alignment at best.

Delhi’s calculated diplomacy—embracing ties with China and Russia while simultaneously seeking deeper cooperation with Japan and others—underscores a pragmatic hedging strategy amid increasing U.S. unpredictability.

Following Tianjin, outcomes to watch include any joint communiqués or bilateral memoranda among the SCO participants signaling incremental cooperation—especially in areas like trade, connectivity, or security coordination. Yet, symbolic significance may outshine material gains in this diplomatic showcase.

As President Putin extends his stay for the Beijing parade and other leaders depart, the summit emerges less as a policy platform and more as a coordinated display of shared geopolitical narratives—one where China aims to present itself not alongside the U.S., but as a leader of an alternative international alignment.

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