Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi made a rare display of unity on Monday, signalling their defiance in the face of Donald Trump’s tariffs and western sanctions over Ukraine. They promised deeper economic and security co-operation and called for a reform of global institutions to reflect the emerging multipolar world.
The Chinese, Russian and Indian leaders met at the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) summit in the port city of Tianjin, about 100km from Beijing. The organisation’s other member states are Iran, Pakistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
“We should advocate for equal and orderly multipolarisation of the world, inclusive economic globalisation and promote the construction of a more just and equitable global governance system,” Mr Xi said at the start of the summit.
Mr Modi and Mr Putin held hands as they walked along the red carpet to meet Xi and the Indian prime minister said that New Delhi and Moscow stood side by side even in tough times. The United States has imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, accusing India of profiteering from the Ukraine war by importing cheap oil from Russia.
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“Even in the most difficult situations, India and Russia have always walked shoulder to shoulder,” Mr Modi said.
“Our close co-operation is important not only for the people of both countries but also for global peace, stability and prosperity.”
Mr Putin repeated his assertion that the West was to blame for his full-scale invasion of Ukraine because it had attempted to bring Kyiv into its orbit. He said a sustainable peace required “a fair balance in the security sphere” that addressed what he called the root causes of the conflict.
“This crisis wasn’t triggered by Russia’s attack on Ukraine, but was a result of a coup in Ukraine, which was supported and provoked by the West,” he told the summit.
“The second reason for the crisis is the West’s constant attempts to drag Ukraine into Nato.”
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Mr Xi and Mr Modi met on the sidelines of the summit on Sunday, declaring that they are partners, not rivals, and agreeing to intensify efforts to de-escalate their border dispute in the Himalayas. They promised more steps towards normalising relations disrupted by a border clash in 2020 and announced the resumption of direct flights between the two countries.
Mr Xi proposed a Global Governance Initiative (GGI) aimed at making the international system “fairer and reasonable”. He identified its five priorities as: upholding sovereign equality, respecting international law, practising multilateralism, putting people first, and focusing on action-oriented results.
“All countries, regardless of size, strength or wealth, should equally participate in, decide on and benefit from global governance,” he said.
“There should be no double standards, and the house rules of a few countries must not be imposed upon others.”
This is the fourth international framework the Chinese leader has proposed since 2021, following the Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI) and Global Civilisation Initiative (GSI). He condemned cold war thinking, hegemonism and protectionism and declared that the world had entered a new period of turbulence and transformation.
“History tells us that the more difficult the times, the more we must hold fast to the original aspiration of peaceful coexistence, strengthen our confidence in co-operation and mutual benefit, and advance in line with the logic of historical progress and the tide of the times,” he said.
“For this reason, I am putting forward a Global Governance Initiative, to work with all countries in building a fairer and more reasonable system of global governance, and to jointly advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.”
