India’s Changing Foreign Policy

Context

India’s recent participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit along with talks with China and Russia has triggered a debate on whether India is recalibrating its foreign policy amid changing global dynamics.

Implications of the SCO Summit

• The SCO summit focused on regional security, connectivity and counter-terrorism.
• India reiterated its stand against cross-border terrorism and called for respect for sovereignty in connectivity projects.
  • This was an implicit criticism of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
• The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) declaration criticised ‘coercive, unilateral’ economic measures that were indirectly targeting US tariffs and European sanctions.
• The summit gave India an opportunity to engage multilaterally with Eurasian powers but it did not yield any concrete results.

Tianjin meeting: China-Russia-India

• A trilateral meeting between India, China and Russia in Tianjin signalled a cautious re-engagement after years of border tensions and strained relations.
• The dialogue discussed shared concerns over multipolarity, sanctions and global economic disruptions.
  • However, India maintained its strategic autonomy and distanced itself from any notion of a bloc alliance.
• Chinese President Xi Jinping has described India and China as 'partners, not rivals' while India appeared to back away from the view that the LAC situation must be normalised before resuming ties in other areas.
• During this, India and China agreed to discuss the border situation between special representatives, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
• Apart from resumption of flights, visa facilitation and Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, they also agreed to resolve trade issues between themselves.

Impact of US measures and India's response

• The US has tightened tariffs and sanctions targeting China and Russia, which is indirectly affecting India.
• India seems to be balancing in the following ways:
  • Maintaining strong relations with the US through Quad and defense deals
  • Keeping communication channels open with Russia and China to avoid over-dependence
• This indicates flexible diplomacy rather than a clear move away from the West.
• Prime Minister Modi emphasized India's commitment to 'strategic autonomy and multipolarity'.
• India's emphasis at this summit was on issue-based engagement rather than factional politics.
• The leaders of Russia and China called for strong cooperation against Western-led sanctions and protectionism.

Conclusion

Currently, India's foreign policy is showing signs of pragmatic balancing rather than change. The SCO Summit and the Tianjin Trilateral Dialogue reflect efforts to maintain regional stability while dealing with US-led economic pressures. India's strategy remains multi-layered and seeks to maximize options in an uncertain global order.