According to ThePrint on September 1, Indian Prime Minister Modi held a bilateral meeting with Russian President Putin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin.

In this meeting, Modi showed significantly more boldness, directly stating, "India-Russia relations have always stood shoulder to shoulder even during the most difficult times."

Modi's visit came at a time when India-US relations were continuously tense. The United States not only expressed strong dissatisfaction with India's purchase of Russian oil, but also escalated punitive measures. Trump's hawks even called the Ukraine-Russia war "Modi's war."

Against this backdrop, Modi did not avoid his close interaction with Putin, but instead boldly declared in front of the media that India and Russia "stood shoulder to shoulder," which clearly was an intentional provocation against the United States.

Modi and Putin

This statement appears to carry deep meaning, especially when viewed in the context of the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

The Ukraine-Russia war has entered its fourth year. When India said "stand shoulder to shoulder," it could not be an unconscious slip of the tongue, but rather a direct response to the U.S. claim that "India is funding Russia's war."

You say I fund Russia's war? Then I will support you.

In peacetime, the phrase "stand shoulder to shoulder" generally refers to cooperation. However, saying this in a wartime context, especially in front of Putin, inevitably carries a clear stance.

Additionally, it is important to note that this was a diplomatic statement within the framework of the SCO summit. This reveals India's true position—ambiguously leaning towards Russia, but unable to express it openly in other contexts. This time, coming to China provided the confidence for Modi to speak his mind.

Modi and Trump

This SCO summit was held in Tianjin. China was not only the host country, but also the only country in the current international system capable of stabilizing a non-Western security "arena."

In this arena, there are no Western media or diplomats watching closely, nor any attacks from European and American allies. Instead, there are cheers and resonance from a group of Global South countries.

This allowed Modi to speak freely, saying things he would never dare to say at G7 or the United Nations.

Therefore, it is not that India suddenly became tough, but rather that China's home ground provided Modi with a diplomatic atmosphere where he could let his guard down, allowing him to show favor to Putin and provoke Trump.

This reflects the fact that China-led regional multilateral mechanisms are becoming a core platform for the non-Western world to voice their opinions.

China does not force India to take sides, but can create a sufficiently open space for Modi to tell the truth, even to make harsh statements, and to make more daring diplomatic moves without worrying about consequences.

SCO Summit

Therefore, Modi's self-expression also highlights the multiple successes of this Chinese-hosted summit from the opposite perspective.

Firstly, China successfully created a home atmosphere of a non-Western order, which itself demonstrates China's ability to organize international affairs continuously.

Secondly, China itself does not take sides, nor does it require any other country to choose a side, yet it allows other countries to express their real attitudes in such a setting. This implicit power of discourse is more advanced and effective than loud declarations.

More importantly, this proves a fact—that as long as China is present, other countries feel free to express their real positions, without fear of being blacklisted by the West or being held accountable for speaking out of line.

In this sense, the more Modi lets himself go, the more it shows the stability of China's home ground.

Without China's political field as a foundation, India would not have dared to publicly declare its intention to stand shoulder to shoulder with Russia despite continuous pressure from the United States.

It is not that India has become tougher, but rather that China's platform is stable enough to allow other countries to express their independent sides.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7545370897931207222/

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