New World Order? Modi, Xi & Putin Share Stage at SCO Summit, Signaling a Geopolitical Shift

New World Order: At the SCO Summit in Tianjin, PM Modi, Xi Jinping, and Vladimir Putin project unity — a possible sign of a multipolar global order challenging Western dominance.

The 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin has thrust Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Xi Jinping, and President Vladimir Putin into the international spotlight — and not just for ceremonial optics. Their coordinated presence is being interpreted as a powerful signal: a possible reconfiguration of global diplomacy, where non-Western powers are increasingly asserting a multipolar world order.

At the summit, Xi Jinping launched a pointed critique of what he described as “bullying behaviour” and “Cold War mentalities” exhibited by certain global powers — a fairly transparent reference to the United States. He called for a renewed model of true multilateralism, underpinned by institutions like the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, rather than dominance by a few.

https://aamnewsnetwork.com/pakistan-appoints-asim-munir-chief-of-defence-forces-constitutional-amendment/

In a bold move, China pledged 2 billion yuan in free aid and another 10 billion yuan in soft loans to SCO member states, alongside launching a cooperation centre for artificial intelligence and inviting SCO nations to take part in its lunar research station. This effort underscores Beijing’s ambition to deepen economic integration in Eurasia and promote a governance architecture less dependent on Western-dominated financial systems.

Putin, for his part, backed this vision by calling for a “fairer multipolar world order.”

He emphasized economic self-reliance within SCO and urged the creation of joint financial instruments, such as shared bonds, to reduce dependence on Western currencies. Moscow also supports enhanced infrastructure for payments, settlement, and investment among member states — reinforcing its long-standing pitch for alternative economic architecture.

Against this backdrop, Narendra Modi’s role is being carefully scrutinized. This marks his first visit to China in seven years, and analysts argue that his warm interactions with Xi and Putin — from hand-in-hand walks to shared limousines — were choreographed to convey a broader message of trust and cooperation.

Modi, in his own address, underscored the importance of SCO as a platform for “Security, Connectivity, and Opportunity.”

He condemned selective international approaches to terrorism, warning against double standards.

For India, the optics matter deeply. While New Delhi clearly supports multilateral cooperation, it is also signaling caution: it has not endorsed China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, and its participation in the summit stopped short of full alignment with Beijing’s geopolitical agenda.

According to some analysts, India’s decision to depart before China’s large military parade was deliberate — a bid to maintain its strategic autonomy even as it deepens engagement.

The summit also sparked a social media wave of symbolism: images of Modi, Xi, and Putin walking side-by-side — dubbed “elephant, dragon, and bear” by observers — resonated far beyond Asia.

U.S.-based commentator Van Jones described it as “a dagger pointed at the heart of the West,” calling the trio’s alignment a potent metaphor for a new geopolitical bloc.

Not everyone, however, interprets the summit as a full-fledged alliance. Some foreign-policy analysts in India argue that while the spectacle was grand, New Delhi’s participation remains strategically cautious and transactional.

Indeed, critics suggest that the optics of unity may conceal unresolved differences — especially over territorial disputes, trade imbalances, and long-term geopolitical ambitions.

https://digitalamitkaul.online/china-pakistan-submarine-deal-threatens-india-arabian-sea/

New World Order: SCO summit

Still, the SCO summit marks a significant inflection point. With India, China, and Russia visibly cooperating on economic, security, and development goals, they are helping redefine the global narrative: one not centered on Western dominance, but on regional strength, shared interests, and alternative governance models.

Whether this moment evolves into a concrete, long-term bloc or remains a symbolic alignment will depend on sustained institutional cooperation, not just photo opportunities. But for now, the summit has underscored what many refer to as the coming age of multipolar diplomacy.