In current geopolitics, the questions attracting world attention revolve around US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s response to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held at Tianjin, China, on August 31&ndash;September 1, 2025, India&rsquo;s equation with the US and Russia, and China&rsquo;s rise as the other superpower besides the US.
Prime Minister Modi&rsquo;s visit to China for the SCO summit and his one-on-one meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were a logical extension of India&rsquo;s diplomatic outreach.
India&rsquo;s participation at the highest level confirmed the Modi government&rsquo;s policy of bilateral friendships for security and economic benefit, while maintaining sovereign non-alignment. Russia acted as a balancing power between the US and China, with its known antagonism adding to the summit&rsquo;s dynamics. India signalled to Washington that Trump&rsquo;s &ldquo;tariff pressure&rdquo; would not derail its resolve to diversify trade globally.
On his way, Modi also visited Japan, a Quad member countering China&rsquo;s Indo-Pacific ambitions, reaffirming his &ldquo;nation first&rdquo; policy.
The SCO summit was overshadowed by the grand military parade at Tiananmen Square on September 3, marking the 80th anniversary of Japan&rsquo;s World War II surrender. Xi Jinping, Putin, and North Korea&rsquo;s Kim Jong Un walking together projected unity. Putin even thanked Kim for sending troops to aid Russia in Ukraine.
Putin promised China help to overtake the US in nuclear power production, while Trump accused Xi of &ldquo;conspiring against the US.&rdquo; Putin dismissed Trump&rsquo;s remark as humour but stressed that Russia was open to peace talks on Ukraine, urging Kyiv to show &ldquo;common sense.&rdquo;
For India, Modi underlined the need for border peace with China to advance ties. Xi agreed that disputes must not derail the relationship. While cautious of China, India pursued flexibility through a dual-track approach.
Meanwhile, stalled trade talks with the US and punitive tariffs tested India&rsquo;s strategic patience. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal reiterated India&rsquo;s resolve to safeguard its national interests. Trump called India tariffs &ldquo;unjustified&rdquo; but acknowledged &ldquo;we get along with India very well.&rdquo;
By diversifying trade with Europe, South Asia, and Eurasia, India continues to uphold strategic autonomy in a multipolar world. Modi&rsquo;s visit may not resolve distrust with China, but it reinforced India&rsquo;s role as a major global player.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]

PM Modi’s China visit at SCO highlights India’s non-alignment, trade, and global strategy

The Third Eye: Modi’s SCO Summit Diplomacy

PM Modi’s China visit at SCO highlights India’s non-alignment, trade, and global strategy

September 7, 2025 | 10:42 IST