Is a shift underway in India’s foreign policy? | Explained

The story so far: Prime Minister Narendra Modi began the week in Tianjin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit began on September 1. One photo of the three leaders together made worldwide titles. At the same time, US President Donald Trump disturbed and the US has doubled in 50% tariffs, even if India wanted to do the same thing from Russian oil imports and the European Union, a series of cynical testified. However, at the end of the week, Mr. Modi and Mr. Trump seemed conciliatory.

What happened in Tianjin?

The week, starting from the 10 -national SCO summit in Tianjin, Turkey, Nepal, Maldives, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Indonesia and Malaysia, including many other leaders were invited. From there, the action moved to Beijing, where he directed Mr. Xi, Mr. Putin and dozens of other leaders from North Korea, including Kim Jong Un. Among the statements published, there were a number of opposite Western elements, Mr. Xi encouraged a “global governance initiative ve and Mr. Modi took steps for a“ civilization dialogue önemli among SCO countries. The SCO declaration criticized the “compelling, unilateral” economic measures, believed to be for US tariffs and European sanctions. During a photo shoot for the SCO meeting, Prime Minister Modi lowered the red carpet to the place where President Putin’s President Xi stopped. The day before that, Mr. Xi and Mr. Modi organized bilateral talks that were sincere and probably three leaders.

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What happened at the bilateral meeting?

This was the first visit of Mr. Modi to China since 2018, and his first meeting with President Xi has not been in a third country since the military sacrifice and Galwan conflicts in 2020, when both sides agreed to normalize ties. China seemed conciliatory with Mr. Xi referring to India and China as “not competitors, not partners”. Special representatives of the border situation agreed to allow the discussion between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. They agreed to solve the re -revival of flights, visa facilitating and solving the trade problems between them as well as Kailash Manasarovar Yatra.

How did the US see meetings?

In Washington, the photograph of Tyanjin “Troika ve and the later images of Russia, China, North Korea, Central Asian states, Iran, Pakistan and others were seen as a challenge to the Western order, and it was seen as evidence that India is now“ changing sides ”.

On social media, Mr. Trump published a photo from the SCO summit and showed that the United States was “the deepest, darkest, the darkest, the darkest, China”. Peter Navarro, a White House Trade Advisor, said that Peter Navarro, who was seen as one of the authorities who directed tariffs against India, said that India’s approach to Russia and China as democracy is “shame .. There were a number of other interpretations that criticized the Modi government, including the call of the “War of Modi ,, the Ukrainian conflict, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected as“ wrong and misleading ”. India will also participate in a BRICS online summit on September 8, under the chairmanship of Brazilian to discuss a common response that can send more red flags to US tariffs.

Delhi-Washington ties, visa, migration and trade policies, and Mr. Trump’s allegations of mediating to the ceasefire in the Sindoor Operation. However, another return came in the midst of tension. On Friday, Mr. Trump said that India and the United States have a “special relationship ve and that it would always be a wonderful friend with PM Modi”. Mr. Modi, who did not respond to the statements made so far, welcomed them and said that Mr. Trump shared the “positive evaluation” of the partnership.

What’s in front of us?

Although many foreign policy observers have encountered a whip from the perception that Indian policy has passed from the west to the east ve and possibly returned to the West, if you think about India’s strategic autonomy and balance policy for decades, changes can be perceived less. After the Xi-Modi meeting of the Xi-Modi meeting in Kazan in October 2024, the SCO visit was expected for months. In the last two years, India put SCO in Backburner and PM Modi jumped the summit in Astana last year, and it was thought that his visit to China was important. In this sense, the Modi-XI meeting was the attempt to normalize ties after years of serious tensions, and the Modi-Xi-Putin conversation would be more important if the official Russia-India-China negotiations were revived.

India-US relations are undoubtedly influenced by the tensions that lasted for months in a series, but official changes and military exercises have not stopped. It will depend on whether the US and India can find a compromise to cancel Russian oil imports or whether India can find a compromise to open agricultural and milk sectors, and whether the US reconsidered the 50% tariff in India. When Mr. Jaishankar went to the United States for the UN General Assembly this month, Mr. Trump talks about planning the Quad Summit in which he will visit India later this year.

Published – 07 September 2025 02:43