China pulled off a spectacular show last week at the port city of Tianjin by inviting more than 20 world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin to the 25th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Having made incremental progress in getting the Pahalgam terror attacks inscribed in the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit joint statement at Tianjin, and enhancing personal rapport with other leaders, India is now confident of weathering the emerging gloomy global geopolitics.
The SCO summit at Tianjin in China, followed by a spectacular military display in Beijing, signal a resolve to contest the vagaries of the Trump Administration and tweak the global and regional orders.
As the 14th Dalai Lama celebrates his 90th birthday on July 6, all eyes are on his expected announcement on his reincarnation. He, himself, stated that the 15th Dalai Lama would be found in the ‘free world’. China, which ‘liberated’ Tibet in 1951 with a military invasion, on the other hand, declared its intention to select the next Dalai Lama through a ‘golden urn’ lottery process.
As a ceasefire was announced between India and Pakistan on May 10, pertinent questions are being raised about why China did not take the initiative to bring both nations to the table.
India’s military strikes as part of Operation Sindoor on nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) – in response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 – have also placed China and its responses to the escalation in focus. Lin Jian, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, described the Indian strikes as “regrettable”. Beijing called on India and Pakistan “to avoid worsening the situation” and “remain calm and exercise restraint”.