Delhi/Tianjin,August 31(HS): At the grand stage of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, Chinese President Xi Jinping took diplomacy to new heights, passionately underscoring China’s pivotal role as a beacon of stability and a champion of developing nations. In a landmark bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Xi reiterated the pressing need for a powerful Dragon-Elephant alliance—an evocative symbol capturing the essence of China and India—to forge peace, stability, and deep-rooted cooperation, not just bilaterally but across the entire Global South.

China President Xi Jinping welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to China in his opening remarks.

It is a great pleasure to meet you again, Mr Prime Minister. I welcome you to China for the SCO summit. Last year, we had a successful meeting in Kazan. The World is going towards transformation. China and India are two of the most civilisational countries. We are the world's two most populous countries and part of the Global South. It is vital to be friends, a good neighbour, and the Dragon and the Elephant to come together, he said.

From the outset, Xi painted a vivid picture of shared heritage and responsibility. He described China and India as the two oldest civilizations still flourishing today, commanding the world’s largest populations and carrying an immense duty to shape a multipolar global order. His words resonated with calls for sovereignty, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence, emphasizing that good neighborliness and collaboration are indispensable for advancing common development goals. Highlighting the benefits that flow to their collective 2.8 billion people, Xi portrayed this partnership as a shining example of diplomacy rooted in trust, respect, and sensitivity.

Stepping beyond the bilateral, Xi cast China as a bastion of “stability and certainty” amid swirling global uncertainties, advocating a reinvigorated multilateralism through the United Nations to tackle international challenges head-on. The SCO Summit itself, the largest in its history, was framed as a vital diplomatic forum, a melting pot for engagement in an era of shifting geopolitical dynamics.

The Modi-Xi bilateral dialogue marked a momentous occasion—their first since Modi’s last visit to China in 2018 and their first face-to-face in nearly ten months. Concrete progress sprung from their talks: peaceful border management agreements, the joyful resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, revived direct air connectivity, and intensified trade relations. Xi’s clarion call was unmistakable—the two Asian titans must unite, wielding their Dragon and Elephant strengths to uphold their shared global responsibilities and to architect a peaceful, prosperous world order.

This rendezvous unfolded amid an intricate backdrop of geopolitical chess—recent border tensions, recalibrated international alliances, and India’s own navigation through US trade tariffs. Analysts interpret Xi’s outreach as strategic diplomacy, a signal of China’s intent to cement itself as a reliable partner in Asia, a force for regional peace and collaborative development, poised to counterbalance other global powers.

PM Modi, embracing the spirit of renewal, took to Twitter with a video capturing his remarks from the meeting. He expressed heartfelt gratitude for Xi’s warm hospitality and reinforced India’s commitment to nurture ties based on mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity. Modi tweeted:

Sharing my remarks during meeting with President Xi

. Our cooperation benefits 2.8 billion people and paves the way for the welfare of all humanity. We are committed to further strengthening our relations.

Beyond the summit halls, PM Modi’s arrival in China was met with enthusiastic cheers from

Indian diaspora, chanting patriotic slogans, symbolizing a bond transcending borders. Cultural exchanges enlivened the visit, from Indian classical music performances to historic reflections on Jawaharlal Nehru’s pioneering 1954 visit, infusing the meeting with deep historical resonance.

The Tianjin summit, the largest in its history with leaders from over 20 nations, also showcased innovation with the deployment of Xiao He, a humanoid robot providing multilingual assistance to journalists.

In essence, the SCO Summit and the Modi-Xi dialogue epitomize a renewed diplomatic vigor—a crystallization of vision where the Dragon and the Elephant move in concert. Their unity is more than symbolic; it’s a prerequisite for regional stability and global progress in a rapidly transforming world.

As the summit unfolds, all eyes remain fixed on Tianjin, where ancient civilizations are scripting a modern narrative of hope, cooperation, and strategic partnership—one that promises to reshape Asia’s destiny and reinforce a more balanced, inclusive international order.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar