New Delhi and Beijing's rapprochement marks the beginning of a new era

President Xi Jinping met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 31 the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tianjin.

This meeting, building on their successful dialogue in Kazan in 2024, represents an important moment for China-India relations, bolsters growing optimism within the SCO, and marking a major point in diplomatic relations within the Global South.

Most significantly, the broader events taking place in Beijing shows that half the world’s population are discussing their future without reference to, and diminishing dependence on the West. For the Global South, this means that this community of countries and nations could leverage their growing internal bilateral and multilateral cooperation for international and domestic peace, stability, and development.

The bilateral meeting between China and India coincided with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of enduring diplomatic relations between the two biggest countries in the world by population. China and India hold a collective population of about 2,8 billion people, while Beijing is New Delhi’s largest bilateral trade partner. The two major powers of the Global South are also neighbours sharing about 3,800 km (2,400 miles) border.

The meeting also came at a time of heightened global uncertainty, largely fuelled by the   unilateral imposition of tariffs on trading partners by the US, and growing calls in the Global South for a greater say in international affairs.

The US tariffs have impacted almost all leading economies across the world, and risk severe consequences for fragile economies in the Global South.  All the countries represented at the SCO and many others in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe have to contend with sudden economic unpredictability, uncertainty and negative impacts of unilaterally imposed tariffs, which currently face legal hurdles in the US. 

The conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, and Israel and the people of Palestine, have unleashed unprecedented instability, challenging norms and rules governing the conduct of states.

President Xi Jinping highlighted the contemporary state of global uncertainty by stating that there had been a “significant increase in instability, uncertainty and unpredictable factors.” He further emphasised the significant role of the SCO as an “important force in promoting the building of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind.”  He further shared that China would play the role of “stabiliser” in global politics, while rejecting “bullying” as an approach of conducting international politics.

The rapport during the meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi resonated with the SCO's spirit of mutual trust, equality and common development amongst partners and different nationalities. China and India are important leading powers in the Global South. The two countries are not only neighbours, but are leading powers and founding members of the BRICS+, which has since expanded from its original five members, Brazil, China, India, Russia, and South Africa, to eleven, after Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates joined the grouping in 2024-2025. Many countries in the Global South have also indicated their desire to join the grouping.

The BRICS serves as a political and diplomatic coordination forum for countries from the Global South. It seeks to strengthen economic, political, and social cooperation among its members, as well as increase the influence of Global South countries in international governance. The group seeks to improve the legitimacy, equity in participation, and efficiency of global institutions such as the United Nations (UN), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB), and the World Trade Organization (WTO) and to bolster sustainable social and economic development, promoting social inclusion based on genuine multilateralism rooted in the UN Charter. The US tariffs undermine the rules of the WTO and the commitment of all nations to fair trade.

For its part, the SCO attracted more than 25 national leaders and heads of 10 international organisations who converged at the Chinese coastal city of Tianjin to talk about security, the global economy, and regional issues. These international leaders included President Vladimir Putin of Russia, Narendra Modi of India, and the leaders of Iran, Indonesia, and Turkey among others. The SCO boasts of 10 member states, a growing network of observer states and dialogue partners, covering half of the world's population and over 25 percent of global GDP.

 As a lever of global multilateralism advancing the interests of the Global South, the SCO seeks to foster inclusive and equitable partnerships that prioritise development and stability over zero-sum competition. It therefore provides a significant platform to foster dialogue transcending diverse interests and differences towards advancing shared collective goals and aspirations beneficial to humanity.

During their meeting on the sidelines of the SCO, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi emphasised the importance of a bilateral and multilateral strategic and long-term partnership based on deeper trust, expanded cooperation and peaceful coexistence that benefits both nations and the Global South. They further reinforced the fact that China and India are “partners, not rivals.”

Both leaders concurred on the need to stay “true to SCO founding mission and ushering in a better future”, underlining multilateral cooperation and opposition to “Cold War mentality.” They further committed to the long-term development of the China-India relations, including rebuilding strategic mutual trust, cooperation, and properly handling questions of mutual concern.

The fruitful meeting between the two leaders signals growing strategic unity amongst leading powers in the global south, and consensus to uphold multilateralism resonating beyond Sino-Indian bilateral relations. The success of the Global South depends very much on the unity and commitment of bigger, richer, and more powerful countries to share their political and economic resources, as well as goodwill in upholding shared values, sharing solidarity, resources, and technologies to advance shared prosperity.

 As reflected in the Tianjin Declaration, leaders in the Global South must oppose "unilateral coercive measures” which "undermine international law" and go against the norms of the World Trade Organization and the UN Charter, including those in the economic spheres. Such measure poses collective threats to their development. All nations in general, and the Global South in particular, must work in concert for a more "just and equitable" system that dismantles walls, rather than "erect them,” promotes deeper economic integration and mutually beneficial cooperation.

The meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi signified growing optimism among the community of nations in the Global South in their quest for fairer, just and equal global order resonating with their demands for a greater say in international affairs. It reinforces the understanding that countries in the Global South could work together peacefully to collectively advance their interests, while addressing some of the most contentious national and global challenges.

Gideon Chitanga, PhD is a Political and International relations Analyst.