NEW YORK, September 2. /TASS/. The leaders of Russia, China, and India demonstrated unity at the SCO summit, posing a challenge to the foreign policy of US President Donald Trump, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Photos showing Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Russian President Vladimir Putin embracing sent a "powerful message" to Washington. This display of solidarity came as Trump sought to rein in Beijing, weaken Moscow’s ties with China, and dissuade India from buying Russian oil.
"President Trump’s gentle treatment of Vladimir Putin has done nothing to pull Russia away from China," said Michael Fullilove, executive director of the Lowy Institute think tank in Australia. "His rough treatment of Narendra Modi, on the other hand, is pushing India closer to Russia and warming up its relations with China," Fullilove added.
The SCO summit, attended by Putin and the leaders of more than 20 countries, kicked off on Sunday in the city of Tianjin in northern China. According to Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin, the event became the largest forum in the history of the organization.
Today, the SCO is made up of ten member states: Russia, Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and two observer countries — Afghanistan and Mongolia — and 14 dialogue partners — Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Sri Lanka. It is the world’s largest regional cooperation organization by population, geographical coverage and growth potential.