India Navigates Complex alliances as Foreign Policy Focus โขShifts
Beijing, September โข7,โ 2025 – Recent diplomatic engagements suggest a recalibration in India’s foreign policy approach, prompting scrutiny of its relationships with key global powers.โค Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation inโ the Shanghai Cooperationโ Organisation โข(SCO) summit in China, andโ a meetingโฃ with both Chinese โขPresident Xi Jinping andโฃ Russian President Vladimir Putin, questions have arisen regarding India’s alignment amidst growing geopolitical tensions.
The SCO summit sparked commentaryโข from the U.S., with former Presidentโ Donald trump posting on social media that the event signaled a loss of India and Russia to China. White Houseโข Trade Adviser Peter Navarro, a proponent of tariffs against India, described India’s growing ties with Russia and China as โa “shame,” given its democratic status. These criticismsโ extended to labeling โthe Ukraine conflict “Modi’s war,” a characterization swiftly rejected โคbyโฃ India’s Ministry of External Affairsโ as “inaccurate โคand misleading.” India is also slatedโค to participateโ in a BRICS โonline โคsummit on September 8,โค chaired by Brazil, to discuss a unified response to U.S.tariffs.
Delhi-Washington relations have faced strain over issues including visa, immigration, and trade policies, as well โasโ Trump’s past offers to mediateโข in Operation Sindoor. However,Trump later โฃaffirmed a “special relationship”โ with India and his continued friendship with โPrime Ministerโฃ modi,sentiments echoed by Modi himself.
Despite perceptions of a shift from “west to the โeast,” many foreign policy analysts believeโข India’s actions are consistent with its long-standing policy of โstrategic autonomy and balance. The recent visit to China for the SCO summit followed a Xi-modi meeting in Kazan in October 2024, which โsignaled a restart of ties after a period of tension. While India had previously scaled back its involvement in the SCO, the visit was deemed notable for normalizing relations. โฃThe meeting between Modi, Xi, and โPutin, whileโค notable, would haveโข carried greater weight if it had led to a resumption of formal Russia-India-China talks.
India-U.S. relations have experienced recentโค tensions,but official exchanges and militaryโ exercises have continued. Future developments โขwill likely hinge on resolving โฃdisputes regarding India’s Russian oil imports andโ potential opening of its agricultural and dairy sectors, as well as a possible reconsideration of the 50% U.S. tariff on Indian goods. External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar’s upcoming visit to the U.S. for the UN General Assembly will include discussions about schedulingโฃ a Quad summit, with Trump expected to visit India laterโ this year.