Delhi/Tianjin, September 1(HS) : Prime Minister Narendra Modi showcased diplomatic warmth and strategic camaraderie during the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China by arriving at the venue in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s distinguished Hongqi L5 limousine and departing alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin in a sleek Aurus Senat, symbolizing India’s balanced engagement with two global powers.
PM Modi’s arrival in the famed Hongqi L5 — a model reserved exclusively for China’s top leadership and select foreign dignitaries — echoed historic ties, as Xi had used the same car on his 2019 visit to India. After key summit proceedings, Modi accepted Putin’s invitation to share a ride in the Russian-made Aurus Senat to the site of their bilateral meeting, where the two leaders conversed for nearly an hour inside the car, an exchange Modi later described as “always insightful” on his social platform X.
The carpool underscored the depth of India-Russia ties amidst ongoing geopolitical turbulence. Putin’s gesture came despite mounting US pressure, including tariffs partly aimed at penalizing India over its Russian oil imports, which Washington alleges fuels Moscow’s conflict in Ukraine. India’s Ministry of External Affairs dismissed the tariffs as “unfair and unjustified,” emphasizing India’s sovereign right to energy security for its 1.4 billion people.
Beyond personal warmth, the summit spotlighted Modi’s vision for the SCO centered on security, connectivity, and opportunity. He reaffirmed a collective front against terrorism, critiqued double standards in counter-terrorism efforts, and subtly rebuffed China’s Belt and Road Initiative by calling for infrastructure projects respecting sovereignty. Instead, Modi promoted India-led connectivity initiatives like the Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor, signaling a strategic pivot to project India’s regional influence.
Amidst palpable media buzz around the Modi-Putin car ride, the summit also featured Modi’s first formal bilateral meeting with Xi Jinping in seven years, aiming to mend fractured ties since the 2020 Galwan clash. Modi stressed cross-border terror concerns shared by both nations and called for enhanced counter-terror cooperation, hinting at thawing tensions.
PM Modi’s journey through the SCO summit was emblematic of India’s nuanced diplomacy—navigating complex trilateral relations with China and Russia while asserting sovereign interests in a rapidly evolving global order. The public display of friendship, strategy, and dialogue in high-profile vehicles became a powerful symbol of India’s stature on the world stage.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
