At the heart of the summit, Xi stood shoulder to shoulder with Russia’s president Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un in what analysts dubbed an “axis of upheaval”, a deliberate counterweight to Western influence. The imagery of Putin and India’s prime minister Narendra Modi walking hand-in-hand toward Xi served as a striking visual of solidarity, despite longstanding geopolitical tensions.
During his address, Xi advocated for a multipolar global order and proposed an SCO development bank, signalling China’s intent to reshape governance and financial architecture in alignment with a broader Global South vision. While the summit lacked substantive breakthroughs on deep-seated conflicts, particularly between India and China, the emerging convergence among emerging powers was unmistakable.
At the accompanying military parade in Beijing, Trump’s absence loomed large as Xi embraced Kim Jong Un and Putin in memorable, unscripted interaction. Visuals recalling family-style camaraderie were amplified by a light-hearted exchange about organ transplants and longevity, showcasing a stage-craft approach to trouncing perceptions of Western dominance.
Chinese policy under Xi emphasises strategic coherence and economic allure, while U. S. posture—marked by tariff threats and diplomatic unpredictability—appears increasingly fractured. This divergence is nudging nations such as India, Russia and Iran into Xi’s orbit, not out of ideological alignment but out of pragmatic necessity.