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Putin, Vladimir

Leaders of China, Russia, and India Project an Alternative Global Leadership

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The leaders of China, Russia, and India displayed a united front at a summit in eastern China, aimed at projecting an alternative to U.S. global leadership. The event, attended by over 20 leaders from Central and South Asia, showcased the geopolitical disruption caused by the Trump administration, giving China and Russia a platform to rally partners such as Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, and Pakistan. The trio of leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and Presidents Xi Jinping of China and Vladimir Putin of Russia, presented a united front, smiling and laughing as they greeted each other at the summit. The bonhomie between Mr. Xi and Mr. Putin was meant to convey a close bond between them as leaders of an alternative world order challenging the United States.

Key Takeaways:

  • The leaders of China, Russia, and India displayed a united front at a summit in eastern China, aimed at projecting an alternative to U.S. global leadership.
  • The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a Eurasian security grouping of 10 countries led by China and Russia, condemned U.S. and Israeli military aggression against Iran, but said nothing about Russia's war on Ukraine.
  • China wants to seize on the unpopularity of America's trade policy to drive a wedge between Washington and the rest of the world, arguing that it can serve as a more stable global leader.
  • The three-way hand-holding between Mr. Modi, Mr. Putin, and Mr. Xi was a manifestation of a troika that Moscow had recently said it hoped to revive.
  • The leaders' public show of unity masked deep suspicions and conflicting interests between the three nations, including a disputed border between China and India.
  • Despite the warm ties with Moscow, India cannot expect to replace Western economic support with Russia, a country hit badly by sanctions because of its invasion of Ukraine.
  • China had been looking warily at Moscow's growing influence over North Korea.
  • Mr. Modi even splashed the visuals of his meeting with Mr. Putin on his social media accounts, showing how far and how suddenly India's juggling act with Washington had been upended.
  • The summit, which ended on Monday, was part of a diplomatic showcase that Mr. Xi had lined up this week, including a military parade in Beijing on Wednesday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Statistics:

  • The tariffs imposed by the United States on India have reached 50% after penalizing India for buying Russian oil.
  • The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has a membership of 10 countries, including China, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, and Pakistan.
  • Over 20 leaders from Central and South Asia attended the summit in eastern China.
  • The military parade in Beijing on Wednesday will be attended by Mr. Putin and Kim Jong-un, the North Korean dictator.
  • China's Communist Party has been trying to recast China's role in World War II to burnish the party's image and buttress its claims over Taiwan and the South China Sea.

Sources:

  • Alex Alexander, "The leaders of Russia, India and China met at a security summit in Tianjin, presenting an alternative to the U.S.-led world order," SPUTNIK (July 24, 2023)
  • Anton Troianovski, "China, Russia, and India Project an Alternative to U.S. Global Leadership," The New York Times (July 24, 2023)
  • Berry Wang, "Beijing's Military Parade to Commemorate World War II Anniversary," The New York Times (July 24, 2023)

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