New Delhi (ABC Live): The SCO Summit 2025 Outcome in Tianjin was defined by the optics of Modi–Putin–Xi Togetherness — a symbol of Global South solidarity. Yet behind the unity on stage, China, Russia, and India pursued distinct strategies. The summit not only showcased institutional growth for the SCO but also exposed divergent ambitions among its biggest members.

1. SCO Summit 2025 Outcome: China’s Financial Muscle vs Global Governance Ambition

Data Recap:

• Xi pledged ¥2B in aid and ¥10B in loans.

• Proposed a SCO development bank and a shared settlement system.

• Invited members to join China’s lunar research station and AI cooperation.

Analysis:
China used the SCO Summit 2025 to reinforce its role as the financial and technological anchor of the Global South. The pledges are modest compared to the Belt and Road, but within SCO, they signal Beijing’s dominance.

Reading Between the Lines:
These initiatives may entrench dependency among smaller SCO members, making the bloc appear Beijing-centric. While China projected leadership, India and Russia remain wary of being subsumed under its financial influence.

2. SCO Summit 2025 Outcome: Russia’s Economic Firewall

Data Recap:

• Putin proposed SCO bonds, a common settlement system, and a new SCO investment bank.

Analysis:
For Moscow, the SCO is a sanctions shield. With Western markets blocked, Russia’s proposals aim to create a parallel Eurasian financial system. If SCO bonds gain traction, they could become tools for states like Russia, Iran, and Afghanistan to bypass Western sanctions.

Reading Between the Lines:
Numbers show Russia’s weakness: its GDP ($2T) is dwarfed by China’s ($20T). Without India’s support, Russia’s initiatives risk becoming symbolic rather than systemic — exposing Moscow’s junior partner status to Beijing.

3. SCO Summit 2025 Outcome: India’s Diplomatic Precision with Symbolism and Substance

Data Recap:

• India’s civilizational motto, “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, is embedded in the Tianjin Declaration.

• April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack condemned by the SCO.

• India–SCO trade in 2024: $142B, mostly with China.

• Fertiliser imports from Russia: $3.4B in 2024.

Analysis:
India scored on both symbolism and pragmatism:

• By embedding its vision in the declaration, India gained soft power legitimacy.

• By ensuring the Pahalgam condemnation, India secured a counter-terrorism win despite Pakistan’s opposition.

• By discussing trade and flights with Xi, Modi showed pragmatic engagement with China, while reinforcing supply chains with Russia.

Reading Between the Lines:
India leveraged the SCO to present itself as a balancing power — neither aligned with China-Russia nor with the West, but shaping multipolarity on its own terms.

4. SCO Summit 2025 Outcome: Terrorism and Security Unity with Cracks

Data Recap:

• Pahalgam attack condemned.

• New 2026–2030 anti-extremism roadmap adopted.

• Security centres announced in Central Asia.

Analysis:
SCO presented unity against terrorism, but divergences persist:

• China and Russia: Focus on separatism in Xinjiang and Chechnya.

• India: Focus on cross-border terrorism, especially from Pakistan.

Reading Between the Lines:
The Pahalgam reference was India’s win, but Pakistan’s quiet resentment signals future friction. SCO’s selective approach to terrorism leaves cracks in its security framework.

5. Symbolic Gestures & Modi–Putin–Xi Togetherness in SCO Summit 2025 Outcome

Data Recap:

• Modi and Putin’s camaraderie dominated headlines.

• Xi stage-managed the unity optics.

Analysis:
The Modi–Putin togetherness symbolised solidarity but concealed diverging goals:

• China sought leadership and institutional dominance.

• Russia sought survival and legitimacy.

• India sought balance, soft power, and practical wins.

Reading Between the Lines:
The optics projected SCO as the Global South’s alternative to Western institutions. But the backstage reality showed that SCO remains a venue for parallel strategies, not a unified bloc.

6. SCO Summit 2025 Outcome Summary: Divergent Strategies, Shared Optics

ABC Live Editorial Closing

The SCO Summit 2025 Outcome captures the paradox of multipolarity: optics of unity, substance of divergence.

• China gained leadership optics and financial leverage.

• Russia gained survival optics but exposed dependency.

• India gained symbolic legitimacy and pragmatic security assurances.

For the Global South, the summit projected confidence in rewriting governance norms. But reading between the lines, SCO remains a stage where Modi, Putin, and Xi’s Togetherness projects unity, while backstage contradictions limit real convergence.

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