At a major regional summit in Tianjin, China on Monday, China’s President Xi Jinping, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a show of warmth and friendship as tensions rise with the U.S. The three leaders met at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit to discuss trade, regional stability, and security. Gestures like hand-holding, hugs, and shared car rides painted the political picture of a united front.
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India, traditionally seen as a Western partner and counterbalance to China, has been making overtures towards its regional rival. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and criticism of India for buying oil and weapons from Russia have pushed Modi closer to both Putin and Xi. Monday was Modi’s first visit to China in seven years.
Modi also shared a ride in Putin’s armored limousine and praised his conversation with Putin as “insightful.” Putin in return called Modi his “dear friend.” The U.S. just recently doubled tariffs on India to 50 percent over its purchases of Russian oil.
Trump, commenting on the summit over social media, called the U.S.-India relationship a “totally one-sided disaster” and said that India buys “very little” from the U.S.
