The long-dormant Russia-India-China troika drew attention at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on Monday, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged smiles and warm gestures in a closely watched interaction captured on video.
"Interactions in Tianjin continue! Exchanging perspectives with President Putin and President Xi during the SCO Summit," PM Modi wrote on X, shortly after videos of his interaction with the Russian and Chinese presidents emerged.
The Prime Minister also shared pictures with the two world leaders.
On the second day of the summit, Xi Jinping took aim at what he described as “bullying behaviour” in the global order while addressing regional leaders at the summit.
He urged the gathering, in Modi and Putin's presence, to “adhere to fairness and justice... oppose Cold War mentality, camp confrontation, and bullying behaviour.”
Xi Jinping's 'friendly network' message to SCO leaders
Addressing the summit, Xi Jinping highlighted China’s deepening role in the grouping, stressing that the SCO had transformed “our borders into a bond of friendship and mutual trust” and stood united in “unequivocally opposing external interference.”
The Chinese President noted that his country’s cumulative trade with SCO countries had surpassed $2.3 trillion, adding that Beijing was the first to launch Belt and Road cooperation with member states.
Xi called for building a “friendly network” among the peoples of the SCO, advocated tolerance and mutual learning while opposing hegemony, and pledged that China would “always stand on the side of international fairness and justice” while constructively engaging in global affairs.
Modi-Putin to meet for bilateral talks
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said Prime Minister Modi would hold a bilateral meeting with President Putin after addressing the SCO plenary session.
“Tomorrow, the Prime Minister will be addressing the plenary session of the Summit, where he will outline India’s approach to fostering regional cooperation under the SCO umbrella. After this engagement, he is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, following which he will depart for India,” Misri was quoted as saying in Tianjin on Sunday.
Earlier, Modi met Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO summit in what was their first interaction since the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, in 2024.
Later, he joined the official reception hosted by Xi at the Tianjin Meijiang International Convention and Exhibition Center, where he was greeted by the Chinese president and his wife, Peng Liyuan, before joining fellow leaders for a group photograph. Russian officials including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov were also present, Russian agency TASS reported.
India used the occasion to invite Xi Jinping to the 2026 BRICS Summit, which New Delhi will host. Xi thanked Modi for the invitation and offered China’s support to India’s upcoming presidency. Russia, a BRICS member, will also participate.
On the sidelines, Modi held a separate bilateral meeting with Myanmar’s acting president and military chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the two leaders reviewed bilateral ties under India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’, ‘Act East’ and Indo-Pacific policies, discussing cooperation in development partnerships, defence and security, border management and trade.
Source Name : Economic Times