Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday shared a warm exchange with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China — a moment that carried strong geopolitical weight as US President Donald Trump ramped up trade tensions with New Delhi.
The Optics: A Candid Moment on the Sidelines
Photographs and videos from Tianjin showed visible camaraderie between the three leaders, drawing global attention. In one widely circulated video, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was seen watching the animated informal conversation with a grim expression, minutes before the plenary session began.
In the official family photo, Prime Minister Modi was notably positioned several places away from Sharif, underscoring the frosty ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Modi’s Message on Social Media
Later, PM Modi posted pictures of his interactions with the Russian and Chinese leaders, writing on X:
“Interactions in Tianjin continue! Exchanging perspectives with President Putin and President Xi during the SCO Summit.”
In another post, alongside photographs with President Putin, he added:
“Always a delight to meet President Putin!”
The Tense India–Pakistan Backdrop
The optics of the friendly exchanges came amid heightened tensions following the April terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, by The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. The attack claimed 26 lives and pushed India and Pakistan close to the brink of conflict.
India has firmly blamed Pakistan for the killings, while Islamabad has leaned on Washington for diplomatic support. Pakistan even credited Donald Trump for facilitating a ceasefire, a claim India has repeatedly denied. New Delhi maintains that the truce was sought directly by Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations, who approached his Indian counterpart.
Why This Matters
The Modi–Xi–Putin camaraderie sends a powerful signal at a time when India is facing steep 50% US tariffs over Russian oil imports. Analysts say the visible warmth with China and Russia underlines India’s resolve to protect its strategic autonomy and balance multiple power centres, rather than buckle under American pressure.
