Modi Winds Up His Visit To Japan And China On A Positive Note

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will come away satisfied from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin. While keeping the door wide open for talks on trade negotiations with the Trump administration, he succeeded in sending out a message to the United States that if push comes to shove India does have options and mend ties with China. Russia has always been a friend.

At the same time the mention of Pahalgam and "cross border movement of terror" in the final declaration of the SCO, will go down well with the domestic constituency. The statement also condemned terrorist attacks on Jaffer Express and Khuzdar in Pakistan. Television anchors have already set the narrative as a "win-win" for India.

Just a few months back in June, in a SCO defence ministers’ meet in China, Rajnath Singh refused to endorse the joint communique after the meet because India’s concerns on cross border terrorism emanating from Pakistan was not addressed. What has changed since June?

U:S President Donald Trump’s tariff war on the world is inducing countries to rethink their strategies to deal with US tariffs. India and China see value in working together: China needs markets, while India depends on China for fertilisers, rare minerals, and other key supplies to keep its manufacturing sector running. So both China and India are now willing to accommodate each other’s concerns as they push back against the US trade war.

"India can look back at the SCO meeting with some satisfaction which has a very clear statement on terrorism and terrorists crossing borders and naming of Pahalgam. India's agenda items which it injected into the science framework during its presidency have all found mention in the declaration and so has the issue of connectivity . Most importantly PM Modi’s bilateral meetings with Presidents Xi and Putin have been noteworthy of their outcomes,’’ says ambassador Anil Wadhwa.

During his address at the SCO, Prime Minister Modi spoke on the Pahalgam attack and said ``This attack was not only an assault on the conscience of India, but also an open challenge to every nation, and every individual who believes in humanity… Can the open support for terrorism by certain countries ever be acceptable to us?... We must state it clearly and in one voice: double standards on terrorism are unacceptable. Together, we must oppose terrorism in every form and manifestation. This is our responsibility towards humanity.’’

Connectivity:

The PM also spoke of the importance of connectivity, which has always been a pet theme for Modi. Saying connectivity does not "merely facilitate trade but also opens the doors to trust and development." He spoke of India’s participation in the Chabahar port development and the International North-South Transport Corridor, which would help India’s linkage with Afghanistan and Central Asia.

However while speaking of connectivity, Modi also took a pot shot at the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that New Delhi objects to as passing through POK, which India claims as its own. The PM said "that every effort towards connectivity must uphold the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is also enshrined in the core principles of the SCO Charter."

SCO an attempt to shift the West dominated global Order?

The optics from the venue of President Xi Jinping, Modi and President Vladimir Putin is a powerful message of solidarity. These are three of the most important leaders of the Asia-Eurasia region, yet despite attempts for over a decade and more, the SCO has not worked cohesively as a group. Differences between member states have often come in the way. However some analysts say that India’s strategic autonomy is best served if it has ties with both Russia and China as well as with the US and the Western bloc. Commenting on Modi’s bilaterals with both China and Russia, Talmiz Ahmad, former Indian diplomat says:

"This is a very important engagement and reflects India’s commitment to strategic autonomy. This is not merely a response to American tariffs but a reaffirmation of the importance that India has consistently attached to ties with Russia and China,’’ says Talmiz Ahmad, India’s former ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

The West regards the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as a bloc opposed to the US dominated world order. This was in full evidence this time as member states are reeling under the Trump tariff war. The final Declaration reflected this concern as member states opposed "unilateral coercive measures, including those of an economic nature", that contravene UN charter and principles of the World Trade Organisation, in a possible reference to the U.S. tariffs. Chinese President Xi Jinping, the host, in his opening remarks criticised the “bullying behaviour” in the world order and called on leaders to “adhere to fairness and justice” while opposing “cold war mentality”. Xi also said that the SCO has set a new model for international relations.