SCO Summit and the Myth of a “New World Order”
ANALYSIS
- The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit held in Tianjin (September 2025) was projected by commentators as a moment of major geopolitical realignment and the emergence of a “New World Order”.
- The article argues that this narrative is exaggerated and misleading; the summit largely produced symbolism, optics, and rhetoric rather than substantive outcomes on trade, security, or institutional reform.
- India’s visible bonhomie with China and Russia was primarily a diplomatic signal aimed at the United States, particularly President Donald Trump, rather than a reflection of any deep strategic convergence.
- Despite appearances, structural realities remain unchanged:
- Persistent India–China strategic distrust.
- Russia’s relative decline as a global power.
- India’s gradual reduction in defence dependence on Russia.
- India is portrayed not as an independent “pole” of global politics but as a secondary player whose strategic autonomy is constrained by limited national power.
- The SCO resolution on terrorism, including references to the Pahalgam attack, is assessed as a limited diplomatic gain for India, diluted by China’s balancing references to attacks inside Pakistan.
- The article cautions that China’s support on terrorism issues may come with strategic costs, potentially involving pressure on India regarding Kashmir.
- The broader international system is characterised as a continuation of a 19th-century style great-power contest among the United States, China, and Russia, rather than a genuinely new global order.
- The core conclusion is that India’s global influence will ultimately depend on sustained economic and military capacity building, not symbolic diplomacy or summit optics.
NECESSARY STATIC PART
- Organisation / Forum: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
- Member Status of India: Full member
- Key Members Referenced: China, Russia, India, Pakistan
- Core Issues Discussed:
- Terrorism and regional security
- Trade and tariffs
- Strategic autonomy
- Kashmir and regional stability
- Broader Theme: Limits of India’s strategic manoeuvrability in great-power politics
Updated – 04 September 2025 | 13:30 ISTNews Source:The Hindu – Frontline
https://frontline.thehindu.com/columns/sco-summit-india-china-us-modi-geopolitics/article70007710.ece