Last week, President Putin of Russia, President Xi of China, and President Modi of India met in Tianjin, China, for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit. This Summit was the largest in SCO history, with over 20 heads of state attending. 

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a Eurasian security, political, and economic organisation, made up of 10 member states. Russia and China are two of the founding states, with India joining in 2017. The goals of the organization include regional stability and prosperity.

This meeting is notable for many reasons. It gave China an opportunity to showcase its constantly increasing influence in the world, as the country has long been on a quest to further its reach and influence, especially in its rivalry with the United States. It additionally reiterated the strength of the relationship between China and Russia, showcased the newfound allyship between China and India, which delivered a blow to U.S. foreign policy. This summit also exhibits the shift from the former unipolar world that we have lived in since 1990 into the new bipolar, or some may say multipolar, world.

The United States of America has made a long and concerted effort to keep its relationship with India strong, but recently, India seems to be focused on strengthening its bond with China. This likely comes as a response to President Trump claiming that he personally brokered a peace deal between India and Pakistan, followed by the implementation of 50% secondary tariffs on India. At the meeting, President Xi said, “It is time for the dragon and the elephant to dance together, ” in reference to the newfound bond and allyship between India and China. 

From an American perspective, this meeting can be seen as disadvantageous for multiple reasons. It highlights the decline in Indian and American diplomatic relations, as well as the strength of Chinese and Russian relations. Though it is far from an anti-American meeting, many American politicians, including President Trump, have taken it as such. President Trump posted on social media, saying, “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!”