In Tianjin, Xi welcomed a host of leaders amid tight security. The 10-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization is often called the “anti-NATO” organization, especially since Iran joined in 2023 at Beijing’s invitation. This year’s gathering is the largest since the group was founded in 2001, but its members are not as geopolitically united as Xi Jinping and Putin would like. Among those in Tianjin are staunch members of the anti-Western axis, such as Alexander Lukashenko. President Erdogan, however, will be there as both a “dialogue partner” and a member of NATO.

India's awkward presence

India’s presence at the Tianjin summit, until recently considered a staunch Western ally, has drawn serious attention. In June, New Delhi failed to sign a summit declaration on its position on Kashmir and rejected a declaration condemning Israel’s attack on Iran earlier that month. Modi enjoys good relations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has in the past gotten along well with President Trump. But the US president has slapped punitive tariffs on India for its insistence on continuing to buy Russian oil despite Western sanctions over Ukraine — a policy that has baffled Delhi, given Trump’s own efforts to develop better relations with Putin.

In his private meeting with Xi, Modi expressed his willingness to seek a long-term solution to the Himalayan border dispute, which is also complicated by concerns about a huge dam that China is building high in the mountains just a few kilometers from the border. However, the Indian prime minister agrees with Xi on some issues, such as trying to avoid consequences for their positions on Ukraine and reforming international institutions to benefit the so-called"Global South."