The Third Eye: Prime Minister Modi's China Visit

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) In the current geopolitics, the questions attracting world attention revolve around US President Donald Trump's response to the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation(SCO) summit held at Tianjin, China, on August 31-September 1, 2025, India's equation with the US and Russia, and China's emergence as the other superpower besides the US.

It needs to be pointed out that Prime Minister Modi visited China for the SCO summit, and his one-on-one meetings with President Xi Jinping of China and President Vladimir Putin of Russia were a logical part of the same.

India's participation in the SCO conference at the highest level was a confirmation of the policy of the Modi regime to develop bilateral friendships with all for the country's security and economic benefits, and an expression of India's sovereign power to remain non-aligned towards world players. Russia had been acting as a 'balancing' power between the US and China, with its known antagonism coming off as a notable feature of the Tianjin meet. Also, India was able to give a message to the US that Trump's 'tariff pressure' would not shake this country's resolve to pursue its economic interests by 'diversifying' trade relations across the world. On the whole what happened at SCO summit has added to India's standing in the international community. Prime Minister Modi visited Japan on his way to China-Japan is a leading member of the US-led Quad with its declared aim of countering China's expansionist designs in the Indo-Pacific region, and this reaffirmed India's commitment to the 'nation first' policy.

The event that stole the show from the SCO summit was the grand military parade held at Tiananmen Square, Beijing on September 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan's World War-II surrender.

The trio of President Xi Jinping, President Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walking to the rostrum together, made for a compelling message of unity amongst them.

Putin addressing Kim as 'Dear Chairman of State Affairs' and thanked him for sending North Korean troops to Russia to put up a 'courageous and heroic' fight against Ukrainian forces. The chief of Russia's Rosatom state nuclear corporation, Alexei Likhachev gave out that President Putin had promised to help China overtake the US as the world's biggest producer of nuclear power.

The Beijing parade tended to confirm that China under Xi Jinping, with its military, technological and trade power now leads the anti-US block. President Trump reacted to the Beijing parade by accusing Xi Jinping of 'conspiring against the US' and, in an interview, reminded the Chinese President that the US had the 'strongest military in the world'. In a light-hearted comment, Russian President Putin said that President Trump displayed 'a sense of humour' by talking of such a conspiracy. Putin went on to claim that 'all countries with which Russia held talks in China supported the Russia-US summit in Alaska and expressed hopes that it would help to end the war in Ukraine'.

President Putin seemed committed to peace talks to resolve Russia-Ukraine conflict as he acknowledged 'the sincerity of efforts by US to find a settlement for Europe's biggest land war since WW-II' and added that he saw 'a certain light at the end of the tunnel'.

The Russian President used the Beijing visit to convey a message to Kyiv that there was a chance to end the war in Ukraine through negotiations ' if common sense prevails' and stated that he would prefer that option but would not hesitate 'to end it by force if that was the only way'. He said he was ready to hold talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy even though the latter had avoided facing re-election by imposing Martial Law and 'presided over an illegitimate regime'. President Putin as already mentioned seems to be playing a'balancing role' between US and China and also between India and China. He reprimanded his US counterpart Donald Trump for attempting to exert 'colonial era pressure tactics' on India and China by talking of 'punitive' tariffs and pointed out that these were 'powerful economies' in their own right which deserved to be treated as 'partners'.

Prime Minister Modi's visit to China after seven years has apparently yielded modest gains in the ongoing process of rebuilding bilateral relations that had dipped because of Galwan. Indian Prime Minister made a reassuring remark that 'bilateral ties should not be seen through a third country lens' while China also claimed that India had joined China in opposing 'unilateral bullying'-a clear reference to Trump's arbitrary tariffs. In his meeting with Xi Jinping on the sideline of SCO summit, Prime Minister Modi 'underlined the importance of peace and tranquility in the border areas for continued development of bilateral relations'-the Chinese President taking the line that the two countries 'must not let the border issue come in the way' of improvement of their relationship. While maintaining vigilance against China as a potential adversary, India can explore the power of flexibility to try out a dual- track approach towards that country.

In an uncertain global landscape, India's belief in a multipolar world order, strategic autonomy and position of this country as a major voice on issues of 'war and peace' as also on humanitarian development, has stood the test of time and needs to be pursued without undue expectations from any quarters. It is seen that trade negotiations between India and the US have been stalled with the sixth round scheduled for August 25 getting postponed following the tariff escalation.

However, Indian Commerce Minister, Piyush Goyal, leading the Indian side maintained that both sides hoped to conclude a trade deal soon enough. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said on September 3 that there was no lowering the punitive tariff imposed on India but added in the same breadth that ' we get along with India very well'. India has called the tariffs 'unjustified and unreasonable' but maintained that it will take all necessary measures to safeguard 'its national interests and economic security'.

India is adhering to strategic patience in handling the 'transactional' style of functioning of President Trump. Sticking to the principle of national sovereignty in deciding about its purchase of oil from Russia, it is using the grid of understanding that exists between India and Russia to handle the issue. On trade it is exploring the prospect of diversifying its deals with countries of Europe, the South and Eurasia. A guarded approach to India-China trade relations is fine. There is a new era of smart diplomacy setting in and India was well-positioned to make use of it.

Prime Minister Modi's visit to Tianjin in China for the SCO summit was not expected to materially alter the fact of India-China relations being under a shadow of distrust and hostility that had built up around border disputes, military support of China to Pakistan in the armed confrontation between India and Pakistan following the Pak-directed terrorist attack at Pahalgam and the expansion of Chinese influence in India's neighbourhood. In spite of the provocation of 'punitive' tariff imposed on India by President Trump for the import of oil from Russia, the nature of relationship of India with US-Israel axis remained substantially strong.

President Putin reportedly shared with Prime Minister Modi his impression of a favourable outcome of the Alaska summit between him and President Trump. The triangular equation of goodwill between US, Russia and India is largely undisturbed. The adverse comments of Donald Trump on SCO can be interpreted basically as an expression of Trump's disapproval of China trying to emerge as the second superpower. President Trump makes a clear distinction between Putin and Xi Jinping. All of this enables India to play its diplomatic cards for preserving its best interests and also for enhancing its standing as a major power in today's world.

(The writer is a former Director Intelligence Bureau)

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