WASHINGTON– Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s easy rapport with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Tianjin has drawn strong reactions in the United States, where leading outlets framed it as a direct challenge to Washington.
Photos and video clips of Modi walking with Putin to greet Xi, the three leaders shaking hands and laughing, and Modi later riding in Putin’s limousine have gone viral. U.S. media widely linked the moment to President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade moves, especially steep tariffs on India.
The New York Times called the scene “a smiling troika” offering an alternative to U.S. global leadership. CNN highlighted the heavy focus on pageantry, from Xi’s red-carpet welcome to the emphasis on presenting the SCO as a rival to the American-led order.
Fox News cast Modi’s outreach as “a clear rebuke” to Washington, pointing to Trump’s 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil. Trump has defended those tariffs as a national security measure tied to the Ukraine war.
Jeremy Chan of the Eurasia Group told CNBC that Trump’s actions “breathed new life” into the summit by pushing India closer to China and giving Beijing room to build ties with the Global South.
Editorial pages also took aim at Trump. The Washington Post argued in a piece titled “Trump’s hardball with India could backfire” that disputes with New Delhi should not come at the expense of shared interests in countering Beijing. The Wall Street Journal said the show of unity from Modi, Putin, and Xi highlighted the risks of Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy.
Trump weighed in Monday on social media, calling U.S.-India trade “one-sided.” He noted India’s tariff-cut offers but warned that “time is running out.” (Source: IANS)
