Chasing a Chimera

India, China and Russia as well as most of the developing countries are committed to a multipolar world where policies are not decided by just one or two countries, but there are several power poles

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THE tableau in Tianjin was striking. India’s Narendra Modi, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping, huddled together, projected the image of a loose axis of Eurasian powers ready to challenge the US-dominated world order. Coming at a time when US President Donald Trump has turned global trade on its head with his tariff war, the images beamed from the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) Summit in China caused ripples worldwide. Was this just a photo-op or the first signs of a geopolitical shift that could redefine Asia and Eurasia? What of India’s tango with China and Russia? Was it for real or an effort to signal to the US that it has other options and its strategic autonomy cannot be dictated by any other country?