Unmistakable shift , Pg6

Key Highlights:

• Prime Minister Modi visited China for the SCO Summit, signaling a shift in foreign policy.
• Modi and Xi Jinping held their first bilateral meeting since the 2020 military standoff.
• Both leaders approved the normalization process initiated in October 2024, following troop disengagement along the LAC.
• Agreements were made to fast-track boundary resolution, resume direct flights, facilitate visas, and build economic ties.
• The Tianjin declaration included language against cross-border movement of terrorists.
• Xi Jinping proposed an SCO Development Bank, and Modi suggested a Civilizational Dialogue between members.

Detailed Insights:

• The meeting indicated a thaw in relations, driven partly by U.S. tariffs and sanctions on India and mistrust of the Trump administration.
• India chose to side-step concerns over China’s support to Pakistan, blocking UNSC reforms and NSG membership.
• The Tianjin declaration condemned the Pahalgam attack and attacks in Balochistan, finding common ground on the Gaza crisis and strikes on Iran.
• India maintained its opposition to the paragraph supporting China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
• Modi’s visit missed opportunities for engagement with leaders from India’s neighborhood and the Global South by skipping the “SCO Plus” Summit.

Key Concepts Involved:

• SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation): Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a regional intergovernmental organization founded in 2001, promoting political, economic, security, and cultural cooperation among member states across Eurasia.
• LAC (Line of Actual Control): The de facto border between India and China.
• Belt and Road Initiative: Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is China’s global infrastructure and connectivity project, promoting trade, investment, and regional integration through land and maritime routes across Asia, Africa, and Europe.
• SCO Plus Summit: It is an expanded SCO meeting that includes member states plus dialogue partners and international organizations like the UN, ASEAN, AIIB, and CIS.