The Hindu editorial on 03/09/2025 highlights Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China for the SCO Summit as a clear signal of a foreign policy shift. After a seven-year gap in bilateral visits and the first direct engagement with President Xi Jinping since the 2020 border standoff, India endorsed troop disengagement and boundary talks, along with steps to restore flights, visas, and trade ties. The outreach, framed as “Dragon and Elephant coming together,” reflects India’s recalibration amid U.S. tariffs and mistrust of Washington. The Tianjin Declaration strongly condemned cross-border terrorism, including the Pahalgam attack, while balancing references to violence in Balochistan, and saw consensus on Gaza and U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, though India again opposed support for China’s BRI. While the summit produced optics of renewed India-China-Russia bonhomie and initiatives such as a proposed SCO Development Bank and Modi’s “Civilizational Dialogue,” the editorial notes missed opportunities in Mr. Modi skipping broader “SCO Plus” engagements with Neighbours and the Global South.
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