Chinese President Xi Jinping: China kicks off two-day security summit,PM Modi shares handshake

Introduction

In late August 2025, China hosted the pivotal Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin. At the center of this diplomatic theater stood President Xi Jinping. Against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical friction, Xi made it clear that his country stands poised to steer regional security and assert its vision globally. Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence—marked by a notably formal handshake instead of a customary warm embrace—reflected a cautiously strategic posture and signaled nuanced shifts in southeast Asian diplomacy.

1. The Significance of the SCO Summit in Tianjin

A Show of Asian Multipolarity

The SCO, established in 2001, has expanded into a conglomerate of ten members including China, India, Russia, Iran, and Central Asian nations, reinforcing itself as a bloc countering Western influence in Asia. The 2025 summit in Tianjin was synchronous with China’s strategic showcase of its military capacity, through a parallel military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of WWII’s end 

Xi Asserts SCO’s Security Mandate

In his welcome address, Xi Jinping emphasized the SCO’s evolving role in safeguarding regional peace and enhancing member nations’ development and prosperity. He urged unity and cooperative momentum amid growing global instability . This resonates with Xi’s long-standing efforts to assert a China‑led multipolar world order where collective rather than bloc-centric security becomes the norm.

2. Modi’s Strategic Manoeuvre: A Measured Gesture

Not Just Another Handshake

Prime Minister Modi’s return to China after seven years marked a significant thaw. He was warmly welcomed by Xi and Peng Liyuan, yet their exchange was notably restrained—limited to a handshake instead of the familiar Modi-style hug . This calculated gesture reflects India’s shifted diplomacy: symbolically conciliatory yet cautious.

Parliamentary Fallout Back Home

Modi’s handshake drew flak from India’s opposition, particularly the Congress party, which criticized the apparent cordiality as tone-deaf to previous confrontations along the India-China border—especially incidents involving soldier fatalities in areas like Galwan Valley 

Diplomacy Rooted in Substance

While optics matter, so did substance. The bilateral meeting addressed trade, rare-earth materials vital for tech industries, and other strategic interests . These areas of cooperation are emblematic of a pragmatic thaw driven by geopolitical currents, including mutual concerns over Western trade policies, such as U.S. tariffs 

3. From Formalisms to Trust Building

Mutual Assurances and Shared Goals

Modi and Xi’s meeting, lasting nearly an hour, was marked by mutual reaffirmations. Modi emphasized peace and stability following the 2024 LAC disengagement and fostered steps such as resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, re-establishing direct flights, and reconvening special representatives on border management .

Shared Vision for Multipolar Diplomacy

Modi pledged to carry bilateral ties forward based on mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity, noting that 2.8 billion lives across both nations are tied to cooperative progress Xi echoed this, urging continued defense of multilateralism and emphasizing the need for a multipolar world structure permeated with equitable international relations 

4. Broader Context: Strategic Implications and Emerging Patterns

Regional Dynamics and Global Signaling

The summit—and Xi’s assertive framing—highlighted China’s bid to lead an alternative to Western-dominated security architecture. At the same time, the global protests of Western protectionism, especially from the U.S., offered China fertile ground to pitch itself as a reliable partner to nations like India 

India, for its part, is navigating a fine balance: engaging constructively with China while safeguarding its autonomy and responding cautiously to shared challenges. These dynamics demonstrate two powerful Asian nations playing their cards in a recalibrated global order.

Progress Amid Slow Trust Building

Though bilateral relations remain asymmetrically cautious, there has been notable progress. Since 2024’s disengagement at LAC, India and China have agreed on structured committees and resumed cultural and civil connectivity initiatives  The resumption of religious pilgrimages and direct air links are not just logistic milestones—they’re emblematic of a thawing relationship.

Conclusion

The two-day SCO summit in Tianjin was far more than a routine gathering—it was a statement of intent. President Xi Jinping positioned China as a central steward of regional peace and multipolar diplomacy. Prime Minister Modi, in turn, emerged as a cautious but engaged partner, marrying optics of pragmatism—such as a restrained handshake—with steps toward rapprochement and stability. Their interactions revealed layered diplomacy—one where gestures matter, but deeper cooperative frameworks and geostrategic considerations ultimately drive course correction.