India Gets Cozy with Russia and China

September 8th, 2025
Finian Knepper

The art of international relations is about figuring out who is the biggest bully on the playground, and who is your friend. Sometimes, they’re the same.

That is what can be said about Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting in Tianjin, China. Their meeting, while not unexpected, has drawn the attention of Western media outlets. This brief will cover the context of the meeting, its content and its implications for the rest of the world.

India and the US have long had a convoluted but productive relationship. Both converge on key areas like technology, trade and goals in the Indo-Pacific. However, the two haven’t always been friendly partners. In the early 2000s, India’s ties to Iran and US security assistance to Pakistan strained the relationship. During Obama’s administration, divergences on trade and climate change made things troublesome. Differing stances on the Russia-Ukraine war during Biden’s years also made relations tense. Most recently, Trump imposing 50% tariffs on India—starting on August 27—has again made the US and India’s partnership more convoluted.

On the flip side, India’s relationship with China and Russia is not much better. While they are all members of BRICS, they often share competing interests. While the two have many trade deals and alliances, China-India border clashes killed 20 Indian troops in 2020—a strain on their relationship. India insists they are not a member of any “side.” “India is entitled to have its own side,” said Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar in 2022.

The meeting itself was this year’s annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting. Historically, the SCO has not been a particularly impactful conference—mostly a platform to discuss progress toward eliminating a Western-led global order. India’s presence is not surprising either—it has been an observer since 2005 and a full member since 2017. The true headlines come from India’s special treatment. With all three leaders holding hands and riding in cars together, China and Russia have successfully courted India, at least this time. The SCO’s major topics included China criticizing the US for “bullying” India and the discussion of a “New World Order.”

However, it is also unlikely that India will fully replace the US in terms of strategic partnerships. India and the US have long held ties with each other. There are also additional historical rivalries between the two due to ethnic conflicts. India has long been supportive of Trump and shares his stance on preventing a reliance on Chinese manufacturing.

In contrast, India and China’s relationship has been more tumultuous. India has banned TikTok and other Chinese-owned media platforms. There are also additional historical rivalries between the two. In terms of the breadth and strength of ties, India is still firmly connected with the US.

India is no stranger to courtship by foreign powers. During these times, it has staked its claim as a neutral power, taking the side of whoever it believes to be most beneficial to it. As Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru declared: “We propose, as far as possible, to keep away from the power politics of groups aligned against one another, which have led in the past to world wars and which may again lead to disasters on an even vaster scale.”

It’s possible that India is not drifting toward China, but rather drifting toward neutrality after decades of partnership with the United States. The fact that China and the US are the two largest economies on the world stage remains true. But who India calls friends, if anyone, will remain to be seen.

Extemp Analysis by Finian Knepper

Question: Are Donald Trump's tariffs pushing India away?

AGDs: You can definitely go with a humorous AGD here. A dramatic/narrative agd would likely be too over the top.

Background: Since this question is definitely made in the context of India possibly moving away from the United States in the face of tariffs, mentioning those is a good idea. Also mentioning India’s historic support of Trump and the US is necessary.

Thesis/3 main points:

A general answer would likely compare India’s interests, with how working with the US benefits/harms those interests. For example:

No, because they still rely on the US for their own benefit.

Strategic Alliances and partnerships.
Shared trade interests
A common enemy in China.

Altogether, this thesis, and comparing India’s true interest (itself) with the current news would be a good way to answer this question.