to industrial India and Pakistan s ports Security discussions also yielded significant progress The SCO has long prioritized combating terrorism, separatism, and extremism and this summit reinforced that commitment Member states reaffirmed Central Asia as the organization s core pledging to ensure peace and stability Pakistan contributed significantly, sharing expertise in counter-terrorism and pushing for stronger regional mechanisms to address cross-border threats Agreements on cyber security and counterterrorism included plans for joint exercises and intelligence sharing Putin emphasized the SCO s role in safeguarding regional security, attributing the Ukraine conflict to NATO s actions Modi, in talks with Putin, advocated for constructive dialogue to resolve conflicts, welcoming recent peace efforts Pakistan echoed this call for dialogue with Sharif stressing collaborative approaches to regional stability aligning with the SCO s principles of mutual trust and noninterference, which contrast with more confrontational global approaches Cultural and people-to-people initiatives added a hopeful dimension Agreements on educational exchanges and cultural programs were signed to foster connections among diverse populations Pakistan highlighted its cultural heritage, proposing initiatives to promote tourism along historical Silk Road routes Xi emphasized cooperation in tourism and youth engagement China’s humanoid robot Xiao He interacted with delegates in multiple languages symbolizing the innovative spirit of SCO collaborations United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commended Xi s leadership in green energy, noting China s contributions to global sustainability Pakistan supported these environmental priorities advocating for sustainable development projects to address climate challenges in vulnerable regions like its flood-prone areas
The summit’s most transformative proposal was Xi’s Global Governance Initiative calling for fairness and justice in international affairs It promotes a balanced view of World War II history rejects Cold War mentalities bloc confrontations, and bullying, and supports the United Nations and World Trade Organization as cornerstones of global systems Xi advocated for an equal orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization to build a just governance system positioning the SCO as a leader in this vision Pakistan endorsed this initiative with Sharif emphasizing its alignment with the country’s vision for equitable global systems that amplify the voices of developing nations This initiative contrasts sharply with US unilateralism which often prioritizes US interests through tariffs sanctions and exclusive alliances Recent trade wars disrupted global supply chains, and interventions have bypassed multilateral consensus Xi s proposal emphasizes shared decision-making, ensuring nations like India Pakistan and Iran have equal voices Unlike U S policies such as high tariffs which can harm allies and adversaries the SCO s commitments focus on cooperative economic integration as seen in the summit s trade and connectivity agreements, including Pakistan’s push for CPEC integration This multipolar approach could dilute the dominance of any single power fostering a more equitable global order Modi s visit and his bilateral meetings
with Xi and Putin carry significant implications for regional geopolitics His discussions with Xi marking his first trip to China in seven years built on progress post-2020 Galwan clash Agreements to resume direct flights and the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, alongside border peace commitments, suggest a thawing of India-China tensions This could stabilize the border reducing escalation risks that destabilize Asia Enhanced trade and technological cooperation may counterbalance India s strained US ties strained by 50 percent tariffs over Russian oil purchases By strengthening ties with China, India diversifies partnerships, reducing Western reliance and signaling a pivot toward a multipolar Asia where it holds greater leverage Modi s talks with Putin reinforced IndiaRussia ties with plans for a December summit to mark their strategic partnership s anniversary Amid US sanctions on Russia and tariffs on India, these discussions underscored India s commitment to
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Shehbaz Sharif emphasized integrating CPEC with SCO economic goals, proposing expanded trade routes linking South Asia to Central Asia The summit culminated in a development strategy through 2035, emphasizing connectivity, energy security and digital collaboration These measures promise to boost trade create jobs and enhance economic stability across Eurasia benefiting millions from rural Tajikistan
The SCO Summit 2025 showed multilateralism can thrive when nations choose collaboration over isolation From economic agreements to XiÊs Global Governance Initiative, and with PakistanÊs strategic contributions, it laid the groundwork for a balanced global order ModiÊs engagements with Xi and Putin, alongside PakistanÊs active role, signal a pragmatic shift in AsiaÊs geopolitics, fostering stability and cooperation
DO N A L D Trump’s imperial tendencies see the US president wield tariffs and sanctions in the expectation that America will receive tributes Yet his latest move – punishing India with 50% tariffs for Russian oil purchases once encouraged by the US – has produced not submission but spectacle It has sent India s Narendra Modi to China for the first time in seven years as Xi Jinping hosted more than 20 leaders for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin And it is in Tianjin not Washington where it looks as if the hinge of history is moving The SCO is easy to dismiss: the bloc is a bundle of contradictions India and Pakistan remain adversaries China and India still stare across a garrisoned Himalayan frontier, though relations have thawed since last October s border breakthrough Russia and China vie for influence in Central Asia Unlike Nato, the SCO has no binding defence commitments For much of its life it has looked like a paper tiger sending out communiques that were all roar and no bite
But in geopolitics appearances are important To see Mr Modi Mr Xi and Vladimir Putin smiling and joking is to watch Washington s influence fade Mr Trump s tariff broadside against India makes Tianjin significant Here was the prime minister of India – supposedly the US’s Asian counterweight to China –affirming that New Delhi and Beijing are “partners not rivals” India’s calculation is straightforward It has red lines: agriculture will not be opened up to US demands; oil purchases cannot be determined by Washington; the ceasefire with Pakistan was conceded by Islamabad, not brokered by Mr Trump Backing down would look like weakness Far better, from Mr Modi’s perspective, to demonstrate that the US cannot take India’s partnership for granted, and to seek friends elsewhere For China the rewards are immediate Mr Trump has given Mr Xi a stage on which to pose as the host of an important multipolar gathering Cai Qi Mr Xi s chief of staff and a member of China s top ruling body – the
IS R A E L’S genocide in Gaza has galvanized massive opposition on the antiwar left and set in motion a sea change in American politics concerning Israel Last month a Quinnipiac poll showed marked declines in almost every metric concerning attitudes toward Israel in the wake of Gaza Support for Palestinians for the first time exceeds support for Israel (37 to 36 percent) Exactly 50 percent consider Gaza a genocide Sixty percent oppose further arms shipments to Israel A similar number oppose Israel s war on Gaza A majority (53 percent) opposes Trump s handling of the Gaza conflict Forty percent consider US policy too supportive of Israel These are shocking numbers, which have never been recorded in many years’ worth of previous polls that have consistently reflected strong support for Israel and far less for Palestinians The call for a suspension of military aid for example has been taboo in mainstream discourse for decades Attitudes hitherto considered unthinkable have now become mainstream It is, of course,
and the left, grassroots youth wing represented by the Squad in Congress It played out at a recent Democratic National Committee (DNC) meeting at which antiwar Democrats proposed a resolution calling for an end to the war and ban of weapons sales to Israel DNC senior leaders countered with their own resolution sup-
AIPAC They include some of its most powerful members Rep Jerrold Nadler and Rep Adam Smith who said I believe it is time for the United States government to stop the sale of some offensive weapons systems to Israel Though Smith s support was somewhat tempered, it signaled an awareness that the times are changing on Israel His Seattle district includes one of the country’s main weapons developers Boeing He s also received $800 000 from AIPAC in the past two election cycles After AIPAC-funded party primary challenges devastated the ranks of progressive candidates in 2022, some members have begun to pledge that they will no longer accept such donations from such proIsrael PACs though these pledges do not cover primary candidates recruited by the Israel lobby to challenge progressives Until the party itself bans such PAC manipulation this will continue In 2022, Rep Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, and others on the party s left flank complained about the absurdity of Republicans intervening to defeat Democratic candidates Ocasio-Cortez warned that their money was “toxic” and a “slush fund for Republican billionaires who should not have influence in the Democratic Party let alone our primaries The congressional leadership yawned and did nothing Now the shoe is on the other foot The worse Israel s genocide, the more disgust it arouses in the American public This, in turn, trickles up to the party’s elected officials who read the tea leaves: being in lockstep with the lobby is no longer the sure ticket it once was The DNC and congressional leadership are still late to the game Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, Senate and House leaders, have kept their distance from their party’s New York City mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani because, among other things he supports the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and opposes the Gaza genocide They are incapable of leading into the future where the party must be if it is to win national elections and counter MAGA There are two upcoming tests of this phenomenon:
