The leaders of Russia, China and India demonstrated unity at the SCO summit, challenging U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The footage of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin embracing sent a powerful message to Washington. The gesture of unity came as Trump seeks to contain Beijing, cut Russia’s ties with China and dissuade India from buying Russian oil.
The meeting will cause alarm in Western capitals, according to Michael Fullilove, executive director of the Lowy Institute. "President Trump's soft approach to Vladimir Putin has not alienated Russia from China," he said. "On the other hand, his tough approach to Narendra Modi is pushing India closer to Russia and warming its relations with China."
The SCO summit, attended by Putin and leaders of more than 20 countries, opened on August 31 in Tianjin, northern China. As noted by Vice Foreign Minister Liu Bin of the PRC, this is the largest forum of the association in its entire history.
Currently, the SCO includes 10 member states: Russia, Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, as well as 2 countries with observer status (Afghanistan and Mongolia) and 14 dialogue partners (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Sri Lanka). It is the largest regional cooperation organization in the world in terms of population, geographical scope and development potential.