Car rides and hand-holding: Putin, Modi and Xi send Trump a pointed message
www.nbcnews.com

... A private car ride with Vladimir Putin may not be as special as President Donald Trump thought.

With a backseat bromance of their own, as well as hand-holding and hugs, the Russian leader, his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, and their host, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, put on a display Monday that seemed designed to turn heads in Washington.

The three leaders staked out long-held positions in comments at this key regional summit in the Chinese port city of Tianjin, but the tenor and the timing of the trio's embrace was impossible to ignore.

India, long courted by the West as a crucial Asian partner and counterweight to China, has been rattled by Trump's tariffs; the Kremlin has publicly brushed aside Washington's peace push in Ukraine; and Beijing continues to spar with the U.S. over trade, Taiwan and global influence.

Amid this thicket of tensions, the cozy optics at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) gathering appeared a clear signal in the face of U.S. pressure.

Weeks after Trump and Putin made headlines with a protocol-busting ride in "The Beast" at their Alaska summit, Modi joined the Russian leader for a drive in the back of Putin's own armored limo " a not-so-subtle statement of defiance just days after the U.S. doubled tariffs on India to 50% as punishment for buying Russian oil. ...

Xi Jinping Unveils Vision For New Global Order
www.newsweek.com

... Members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should cooperate further in economics and security to move away from the Western-led world order, China's President Xi Jinping has said.

Xi's address to members of the Eurasian bloc on Monday delivered a statement of intent about the rise of the so-called Global South.

"We should advocate for equal and orderly multi-polarization of the world," he said.

Steve Tsang, author of the forthcoming book, China's Global Strategy under Xi Jinping, told Newsweek that Xi's comments showed how he was working "to transform the existing international order into a Sino-centric one."

Why It Matters

The SCO is a Eurasian bloc established in 2001, which has expanded to include economic heavyweights like India to become a counterweight to the western G7 (Group of Seven) countries.

Xi's comments about closer economic and security cooperation among members chime with the vision of his ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has repeatedly called for a pivot away from the U.S.-led global order. ...

China's Xi rolls out carpet for Ukraine war aggressors, sidelining Trump
www.reuters.com

... In a show of solidarity with the aggressors in Europe's worst war in 80 years, China's Xi Jinping will convene with his Russian and North Korean counterparts for the first time as Donald Trump and other Western leaders watch from afar.

Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un's visit to Beijing for a massive military parade this week underscore the Chinese president's influence over authoritarian regimes intent on redefining the Western-led global order, while Trump's isolationist stance strains long-standing U.S. alliances. ...