China's SCO Summit: India's Modi Aligns with Putin Amidst US Tariffs

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

• 🌏 The SCO, established by China and Russia about 20 years ago, serves as a platform for countries critical of American dominance in international institutions like the World Bank and IMF.
• 🗣️ Initially a "talking shop," it has gained traction as an alternative forum for global discussions, particularly under leaders like Donald Trump whose policies have been seen as controversial.
• 🇨🇳 China actively promotes the SCO, especially as its relationship with the US has deteriorated over the last decade.

Shifting Alliances and India's Role

• 🇮🇳 India, a member of the SCO, has historically been a semi-detached participant due to its rivalry with China and Pakistan (also an SCO member).
• 🇺🇸 However, recent US tariffs imposed by Trump on India have pushed Prime Minister Narendra Modi closer to the SCO bloc. -🤝 Modi's attendance at the summit, where he was seen "holding hands with President Putin," signals a strategic alignment against perceived American bullying.

China's WWII Commemoration and Global Messaging

• 🇨🇳 China is hosting a large military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, framing it as a "people's war of resistance against Japanese aggression."
• 🇷🇺 Russia, particularly under Putin, uses WWII narratives to counter Western support for Ukraine, equating it to supporting Nazis.
• 🇬🇧 China, in contrast, emphasizes a message of shared wartime struggle, reaching out to countries like Britain as fellow allies against fascism.
• 🇪🇺 While some European leaders like President Fico of Slovakia will attend, other major European leaders are absent due to Putin's presence.