Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, strengthening ties with two of Washington’s main geopolitical rivals amid rising trade tensions with the United States.
The meetings took place during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held in Tianjin, China.
The timing of Modi’s outreach has drawn attention in both diplomatic and economic circles. Just days earlier, President Donald Trump imposed steep new tariffs on Indian exports, further straining U.S.-India trade relations.
Modi’s warm exchanges with both Xi and Putin suggest that India is exploring strategic alternatives as it faces mounting pressure from Washington.
India Deepens Engagement with Russia and China
During the summit, Modi held individual meetings with both Putin and Xi. Photographs released by Indian and Chinese state media showed Modi in visibly cordial interactions with both leaders.
Notably, Modi and Xi were seen holding hands, and the Indian prime minister described China as a “partner,” distancing his nation from previous characterizations of rivalry between the two Asian powers.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Modi described his meeting with Putin as “insightful” and shared an image of the two leaders together.
He also accepted a ride in Putin’s presidential limousine, an act symbolic of diplomatic closeness. The move drew comparisons to Putin’s recent visit with Trump in Alaska, where the Russian leader had used the same vehicle.
Putin referred to Modi as his “dear friend,” praising the “friendly and trusting” nature of India-Russia relations. Following the summit, the two leaders held a private bilateral meeting to discuss cooperation in trade, energy, and defense.
Trump’s Tariffs Spark Strategic Realignment
The backdrop to these meetings is the recent escalation of trade tensions between India and the United States.
Beginning last week, the U.S. imposed a 50% tariff on a range of Indian goods, citing trade imbalances and lack of reciprocity. Though Modi has avoided direct criticism of Trump, the meetings in Tianjin are widely interpreted as a calculated response.
Chinese President Xi Jinping did not mention the United States by name during his summit remarks but condemned what he called “bullying behavior” by unnamed countries. The comment is believed to be a reference to the U.S. and its recent unilateral trade decisions affecting several SCO members.
In response to the optics of the Modi-Putin-Xi meeting, Trump took to social media to downplay India’s leverage in the economic standoff.
“What few people understand is that we do very little business with India, but they do a tremendous amount of business with us,” Trump wrote. He noted that India had offered to reduce tariffs to zero but added that “it’s getting late.”
Trump emphasized that the U.S. remains India’s largest trading partner and suggested that India’s delay in reforming its trade policies could come at a cost. His post appeared aimed at reinforcing the U.S. position while indirectly addressing the trilateral alignment emerging in Asia.
