- By Shivangi Sharma
- Tue, 02 Sep 2025 05:31 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The recent meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit drew sharp global attention. While Chinese state media hailed the event as “fruitful” and proof of ties being “back on the right track,” US media outlets viewed it through the prism of Washington’s ongoing trade conflict with India and President Donald Trump’s foreign policy challenges.
A powerful photo-op from the summit, showing Modi, Xi, and Putin together, became a centrepiece for American coverage. The New York Times described the three-way hand-holding as a “smiling manifestation of a troika that Moscow had recently said it hoped to revive,” highlighting the symbolism of the moment. The paper also pointed out Modi and Putin’s closeness, noting that the two leaders “rode together to a meeting on the sidelines of the summit.”
US outlets generally interpreted Modi’s presence alongside Putin and Xi as a carefully calibrated signal. Fox News observed that while Modi avoided direct criticism of Trump or the United States, his overt warmth toward Washington’s adversaries amounted to “a clear rebuke” amid India’s tariff tensions with the US. Just a week earlier, Trump imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, escalating trade frictions.
Xi Jinping also refrained from explicitly naming Washington in his summit address but denounced “bullying behaviour” by certain countries, a remark widely seen as a veiled critique of US policies.
Trump’s Reaction
President Trump himself appeared to take note. In a social media post, he warned that India had “much more to lose” in an economic standoff with the US. His remarks followed reports by CNN, which headlined its piece: “Xi and Modi talk friendship in a ‘chaotic’ world as Trump’s tariffs bite.” The network emphasised that Trump’s tariffs risk undermining “years of efforts by US diplomats to deepen ties with India as a counterweight to China.”
Broader Media Coverage
Other US outlets echoed similar themes. Time framed its report as “China’s Xi Hosts Modi and Putin for Summit Amid Anger Over Trump’s Tariffs,” calling Modi’s outreach to Beijing “a strategic blow to the US.” The Washington Post focused on Xi’s attempt to exploit US domestic turmoil, writing: “China tries to use Trump turmoil to unite leaders against US-led order.”
The Wall Street Journal was more blunt: “Chinese, Russian, Indian Leaders Pledge Cooperation, in a Message to Trump.” The paper noted Xi’s announcements of a new development bank and energy cooperation platform, describing the SCO as an emerging challenge to US global leadership.
For India, the summit carried both diplomatic and economic significance. Modi was seen sharing warm exchanges with Putin and Xi, while emphasising that India viewed itself as China’s “partner, not rival.” Against the backdrop of Trump’s tariff war, the trilateral optics conveyed a clear message: India is keeping its strategic options open, even as Washington pushes harder on trade.
