Yet Another Milestone

THE TIANJIN SUMMIT

- KDP Rao

The 25th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State, held in Tianjin, provided a timely opportunity for India, in the midst of tariff tensions, to engage with the Eurasian nations and push its multi-alignment strategy. In the presence of dominant world powers, Russia and China, India emphasised sovereignty and non-coercive connectivity while equally welcoming opportunities in security and trade. Evidently, India's performance in the Summit has restored its position as the voice of the global south, as reflected by the softened stance of the US towards India when President Trump recently praised the Prime Minister as a great leader and stressed the importance of Indo-US friendship.

India's role in the Tianjin Summit, though it aroused mixed reactions, has definitely showcased India's time-tested diplomatic maturity and strength in successfully wading through the chaotic trade relations with the US without rubbing anyone as the wrong side or hastening to take any side. Most significantly, the member nations have endorsed India's bold stand against terrorism through the Tianjin Declaration, condemning terrorism, including the Pahalgam attack and rejecting double standards on terror. However, the resolutions of the Summit, on issues of regional security, economic cooperation, and counterterrorism, are not devoid of challenges to India because balancing the bilateral ties with Russia, China and the US in the face of today's near 'polarisation' will be a delicate act.