By Qamar Bashir
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 in China was one of the most significant geopolitical gatherings in recent years, bringing together three global superpowers—China, Russia, and India—alongside important regional players like Pakistan, Iran, and Central Asian nations at a time when the world stands on the edge of political, economic, and military upheaval. With NATO reasserting itself, the United States under President Donald Trump weaponizing tariffs, and regional flashpoints from Ukraine to Gaza and South Asia, this summit carried the potential to reshape global alliances and strengthen multilateral cooperation. Yet instead of emerging as a defining moment, the summit became a missed opportunity, largely because of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s confrontational conduct, misplaced priorities, and provocative statements that derailed the possibility of a unified SCO declaration and weakened the bloc’s collective response to Western dominance.
The SCO Summit was convened at a critical moment in global geopolitics. The world today faces unprecedented instability: Trump’s aggressive tariff regime has weaponized global trade, disrupting supply chains and punishing economies, including India, China, and Russia. In South Asia, India and Pakistan recently faced a dangerous military confrontation that brought the region to the brink of a devastating war, averted only by a fragile ceasefire that saved thousands of lives. In Europe, the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to destabilize global energy markets, while Trump’s attempts at mediation have thus far failed. In East Asia, the United States has escalated tensions with China by establishing long- and short-range missile facilities in Japan and creating a defensive ring stretching across the South China Sea and Pacific, posing a direct strategic threat to Beijing. Meanwhile, in the Middle East, Israel’s relentless campaign in Gaza and the West Bank has resulted in widespread displacement, civilian casualties, and annexation of Palestinian lands, sparking outrage across Asia and beyond.
Against this backdrop, the SCO—representing 40% of the world’s population and nearly 30% of global GDP—had a historic opportunity to chart an independent course, strengthen regional alliances, and collectively respond to Western economic, political, and military dominance. It could have laid the foundation for greater economic cooperation, explored trade settlements in yuan or local currencies, and spoken with a unified voice on sovereignty, security, and development. Instead, much of this potential was lost because of India’s confrontational approach and Modi’s controversial conduct, which distracted the forum from its central objectives and deepened divisions within the bloc.
Prime Minister Modi used the SCO platform to pursue his domestic political agenda, prioritizing confrontation over cooperation. One of the clearest examples was his relentless focus on targeting Pakistan over terrorism. Despite the fact that all SCO members collectively condemn terrorism in all its forms, Modi repeatedly singled out Pakistan, making direct accusations and threatening punitive measures. His language transformed what should have been a constructive, collaborative conversation into a politically charged confrontation. Rather than using the forum to strengthen regional security frameworks, Modi alienated Pakistan and created unnecessary friction with China and Russia, both of whom see Islamabad as a strategic partner in South Asia.
Tensions escalated further when Modi openly criticized China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), declaring that “connectivity loses its meaning if it bypasses sovereignty,” an unmistakable reference to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which runs through disputed territory in Kashmir. While sovereignty concerns may be valid, raising the issue in this forum and framing it as an attack on China undermined the spirit of regional integration that the SCO seeks to promote. With over 150 countries engaged in BRI-related projects and billions of dollars in infrastructure, trade, and investment flows tied to the initiative, Modi’s remarks risked alienating not just China but many other SCO members benefiting from the program. Instead of working toward solutions that accommodate national sensitivities while promoting connectivity, India created further discord at a time when unity was critical.
The most controversial moment came when Modi directly urged Russia to end its war in Ukraine, a position that not only ignored the complex dynamics of the conflict but also bypassed the fact that Ukraine is not an SCO member. By effectively assigning blame to Moscow in the presence of President Vladimir Putin, Modi politicized the forum and further strained ties within the organization. At a time when the SCO could have provided a neutral platform for dialogue, India’s unilateral positioning alienated Russia and derailed the possibility of consensus on the conflict’s broader regional and global implications.
The result of these actions was the loss of extraordinary opportunities that could have reshaped Asia’s strategic landscape. The SCO Summit had the potential to create alternative financial and trade mechanisms that would protect member economies from U.S.-imposed sanctions and Trump’s punitive tariffs, including the unprecedented 50% tariffs imposed on Indian exports. A unified SCO response to such measures would have sent a strong message of resilience to Washington. The summit could also have facilitated the creation of alternative supply chain frameworks and currency settlements, boosting regional self-reliance while reducing dependency on Western-controlled systems.
Furthermore, a united SCO could have collectively condemned Israel’s ongoing atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank, asserting the bloc’s moral authority and influence on one of the world’s most pressing humanitarian crises. Similarly, the fragile India-Pakistan ceasefire could have been strengthened through mediation frameworks discussed within the summit. These measures would not only have stabilized the region but also positioned the SCO as a credible alternative to NATO and other Western-led alliances in shaping global security and economic priorities.
Instead, Modi’s confrontational stance turned the summit into a political battlefield, undermining its relevance and weakening its impact. By framing India’s positions as superior and by openly criticizing both Pakistan and China while indirectly challenging Russia, Modi alienated key partners and prevented the SCO from issuing a strong, unified declaration. At a time when collective strength was essential, India’s approach exposed internal divisions and diminished the bloc’s ability to assert its influence on the global stage.
This failure carries far-reaching consequences. India’s conduct risks eroding its credibility as a serious multilateral player and raises doubts among SCO members about its reliability as a partner. More importantly, the fractured summit outcome allows the United States and its Western allies to continue exploiting divisions within Asia, maintaining dominance over trade, finance, and security frameworks without facing an effective counterbalance. The inability of the SCO to deliver a cohesive strategy strengthens Washington’s hand and undermines efforts to build a multipolar global order.
The SCO must now confront difficult questions about its own structure, leadership, and objectives. If the organization is to remain relevant, it needs internal checks and balances to prevent any single member from jeopardizing its collective agenda. Its focus must return to economic integration, infrastructure development, and multilateral coordination in response to Western sanctions and financial coercion. Disputes between members should be addressed diplomatically and privately, ensuring that the organization presents a united front on critical issues like trade, security, and sovereignty.
The SCO Summit 2025 was a rare moment when emerging powers had the chance to reshape the balance of global power and demonstrate Asia’s capacity to define its own future. Representing over 3 billion people, the organization had the influence and authority to strengthen regional integration, reduce dependency on Western systems, and challenge global inequities. But instead of a historic breakthrough, the summit exposed the vulnerability of an organization undermined from within. By pursuing narrow domestic political agendas in an international forum, Prime Minister Modi not only weakened India’s standing but also jeopardized the SCO’s ability to act as a credible counterweight to Western power.
At a time when the world faces escalating conflicts, economic fragmentation, and deepening humanitarian crises, Asia needed leadership, vision, and unity. What it received instead was division, distraction, and paralysis. Unless the SCO learns from this failure and reforms itself to ensure collective purpose and discipline, it risks becoming yet another fractured body—unable to defend the interests of its members and irrelevant in shaping the new world order.
About writer: Press Secretary to the President (Rtd)
Former Press Minister, Embassy of Pakistan to France
Former Press Attache to Malaysia
Former MD, SRBC | Macomb, Michigan, USA
