Three of the most powerful figures in the world came together in the Chinese port city of Tianjin, in the North, as part of a carefully orchestrated diplomatic spectacle, to confront American domination of the globe. The absence of unity was a potential seismic change in the world balance of power, indicating such a change meant hand-holding, personal car rides, and an unsympathetic view of Western bullying behavior.
China orchestrated this historic diplomatic protest against the influence of the West
As a measure to balance out the US influence, the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, welcomed leaders of North Korea, India, and Russia to a glittering summit. Even under pressure exerted by the United States, it was difficult to disregard the comforting optics of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting. A major portion of this northeastern port city was under lockdown before the summit took place, the first serious lockdown in the history of the SCO since its inception in 2001. On trade, energy, and regional stability, dozens of leaders of Eurasian member states and other partner countries were invited to China.
Xi criticized the unidentified countries that were bullying him in a subtle jab at the US. He explained that he had long wanted to remove the international economic and security order that is hegemonized by the United States. In a new Global Governance Initiative, which did not include particular policies, he said: “We need to maintain an open opposition to hegemonism and power politics, and we need to engage in actual multilateralism.
Why has this summit become the biggest diplomatic victory of China?
China has been making efforts since 2001 to unite Asian and former Soviet countries with the help of this organization, which is called the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This summit appears to be the most important, although it has occurred in spurts. President Xi has provided millions of dollars in loans and aid to member nations, denounced bullying, and stated that the world has no superpower.
The Trump tariff policies have rocked India, which the West has long developed into an important Asian partner and counterbalance to China, and has drawn it nearer to China. The second term of President Trump has shattered decades of bipartisan policy that sought to empower India as an anti-Chinese ally. He has damaged those relationships by levying 50% tariffs on a range of exports, allegedly in retaliation against India buying Russian oil in large quantities.
How visual diplomacy gave Washington a straightforward message
With this consideration, the first visit by Modi to China in seven years and his apparent friendship with Putin and Xi appeared to be of particular interest. When Modi promoted the campaign of friendship with Putin by smiling as he grabbed Trump by the hand at a massive rally in Texas in 2019, Indian media interpreted it as a gesture of resistance to the United States.
Having provided India with a legitimate reason to seek friendship and partnership elsewhere, the U.S is now showing Putin a close relationship that Trump desired to have with him. Alyssa Ayres, a senior fellow on India, Pakistan, and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, said that this friction had also provided an incentive to India to mend fences with China. She stated that whilst India and China have numerous problems, China is their largest trading partner in terms of goods and is immediately on their border.
Raimedhi notes that the United States might be undervaluing the many forms in which this present disruption could lead India to a relationship with China, should it still be determined to balance China. The reason President Xi decided to hold such a large summit can be explained by the fact that America has strengthened Beijing’s influence in the world.